Through The Looking Glass: Part 1
by Empress Nightshade
Summary: After meeting Persephone, Hades wants a Queen of the Underworld. However, he is in for a deadly surprise.
1. Prologue

_Name's Megara, my friends call me Meg._

_Years ago I sold my soul to the Lord of the Underworld, Hades, to rescue my dying boyfriend._

_Yeah, stupid, right? Well, I learned my lesson. My so-called boyfriend ran off with another woman and left me to be a slave for Hades._

_And to make things worse, my "boss" was devising a plan to overthrow the other Olympian gods and conquer the world._

_Only one could stand in his way: Hercules, a demi-god son of Zeus._

_Even with every monster and Titan at his disposal, Hades couldn't defeat Wonderboy. At least until he decided to use me._

_I died so that Hercules could save Olympus, and to my surprise, he saved me as well._

_Wonderboy had earned his godhood back but gave it up in order for us to stay together on earth. And so there we were: the world was safe, Hades was incapacitated, and I found true love. Sounds like a happy ending, doesn't it?_

_Well… we were wrong._

* * *

Chapter Zero:

-Two Sides; One Game-

* * *

Hades floated motionlessly in the Phlegethon. He was far below the surface, the weight of the souls keeping him submerged._ How did it come to this? One second I was on top of Olympus, and the next I'm trapped here in this death pit. I can't believe I let the little brat beat me. In my own kingdom for crying out loud. Oy, there goes my reputation._

He slightly opened his eyes. All he could see was the green coloring of the water and the wisps of white from the souls swirling around him.

"Hello! Anybody listen! Pain, Panic, if you two whelps don't get me out of here, you're gonna regret the day you escaped Pandora's box!" Hades groaned, the water keeping his powers in check. _Ugh, who am I kidding? I'm never gonna get out of here._

Something long and slimy slowly wrapped its way around his arms and shoulders. It briefly tugged at him like it was making sure what it grabbed was solid. Hades looked up; it was vines. However, he couldn't see the source of them. The souls had noticed and tried to pick away at the vines, but they were forced back, the vines shining with an immortal glow.

_So, those imps finally heard me._ Hades closed his eyes, letting the vines pull him up and out of the river.

He felt his body slide against the rough ground underneath him. He let out a haggard gasp, the shift from breathing underwater to the humid air briefly shocking his lungs. His chiton was completely soaked through and was slowly dripping ectoplasm. Hades frowned, his flame stubbornly refusing to reignite.

Finally, bursts of orange flames sprung from his body, his skin turning red, and he jumped to his feet. "Pain, Panic! It's about time, you miserable little yutzes! _If he gets out…_ we'll see if you're still alive once I'm through with both of you!"

A low, feminine giggle echoed past his ears, making Hades pause. His fire dispersed, save for the patch on his head that served as hair; it turned blue and slowly wisped into the air. Meanwhile, his skin returned to its normal gray hue, and his chiton was now dry from his outburst.

"Have you ever considered anger management? It could do wonders for you."

_Strange, don't know the voice._ He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, and who…?" When Hades turned around, his eyes widened, and his jaw slightly dropped.

Standing before him was not the imps, but a woman. Her hair was black; part of it was held in a bun while the rest hung down, nearly reaching her feet. Her skin shimmered with a golden, immortal glow, the same one Hades had seen on the vines. His eyes traveled down her body, which was draped in a white dress that hugged her figure. Another giggle drew his attention back to her face; her big, blue eyes were staring back at him, flickering with amusement.

_What a goddess._ Hades felt his flames scatter across his shoulders; only this time they retained their blue hue. He quickly smoothed his hands over his hair, calming it down. _This is not the time for flare up._

"Are you alright? You didn't swallow too much water, did you?"

He shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. I… uh…." He cleared his throat before walking over to her. "Hades, Lord of the Dead."

"I know." She smiled. "I came down here to see you."

_Me? Okay, I must be hallucinating in the river. That's gotta be it._ Hades blinked a few times, but the woman didn't fade from his sight. "What for?"

"Well, I'm—" She pulled the blue flower she was wearing from her hair and started fiddling with it. "In trouble, and I was wondering if you could help me?"

Hades folded his arms. "Really, babe? With what exactly?"

"Perhaps we could go somewhere and talk?" She looked around. They were standing in a small passageway next to the whirlpool of souls, and it looked like the tide was starting to rise. "This place doesn't seem very appropriate."

Hades thought for a second before nodding. "Of course… uh… what did you say your name was?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She smiled and put the flower back in her hair. "My name is Persephone."

_Persephone? Haven't heard that name before. Come to think of it, I've never seen her on Mt. Olympus either._ Hades gestured toward the passage. "This way. I'll take you to the palace."

Hades' palace rested in the center of the river Styx; it was shaped like a large skull, and stretched on into the dark mist above. Hades and Persephone stood at the edge of the river. The entrance to the palace was a long, winding staircase.

"You're gonna have to take my hand." Hades looked at Persephone, offering it to her.

Persephone took it, and Hades teleported them across the river to the stairs. Torches aligned the wall and were lit with blue flames. They made their way up until they reached a large door.

"This leads to my throne room." Hades opened the door and gestured for Persephone to go through. "After you."

She smiled. "Thanks."

However, she paused in the doorway. Raising an eyebrow, Hades peered inside. The room was still scorched and messy from the last time he was in there. A magenta and green blur caught his eye. Turning he spotted the two imps, Pain and Panic. They were playing ping-pong on the round table in the center of the room.

Pain struggled to hit the ball back, his heavy stature slowing him down. The ball bounced past his paddle and rolled over onto the floor. Panic laughed and jumped up into the air, his tiny wings allowing him to hover for a few seconds.

"Well, that's five to two. I win."

Pain huffed, trying to catch his breath. "No fair. Let's try for five out of seven this time."

Hades walked past Persephone and over to them. "How about we skip right to sudden death?"

Both imps temporarily froze in place before slowly turning in Hades' direction. Their eyes widened, making them drop their paddles. Panic started to tremble, his chest rapidly heaving.

"Boss, it's you! I'm so glad you're okay." Panic gulped.

Pain waddled over to him; he quickly nodded. "Yeah, we were worried sick about you."

Hades folded his arms. "Is that so, boys? Cause if memory serves me correctly, you've been ignoring me since I was trapped in that pit. And speaking of the word _if_… such a funny word, isn't it?" His skin tinged red, and the fire on his head started to crackle wildly. "Because it always implies that there's a chance your little scheme WILL FAIL!"

Flames erupted all over Hades' body; he shot two fireballs from his hands, roasting Pain and Panic on impact. The flames dispersed, revealing two charred forms of the imps. Their bodies were shriveled, and they coughed out a puff of smoke before collapsing on the floor.

Persephone walked over to them. "Are these friends of yours, Hades?"

He looked at her. "Minions, actually." Hades picked Pain and Panic up by their tails, ready to torture them again. "And lousy ones at that." A fireball formed in his right hand.

Panic's eyes landed on Persephone. "Who is she?"

_I'll remember to torture them properly later._ Hades rolled his eyes before dropping both of the imps on the floor. "This is Persephone. She helped me out of the Phlegethon while you two were goofing off." He glared at them, his fire flaring again.

Pain and Panic quickly ran behind the table and hid. Hades smoothed a hand over his hair and sighed. He looked at Persephone with a smile.

"Would you like a seat, babe?" He took his place on his throne.

Persephone shook her head. "No thanks. I'm fine standing."

Hades met her gaze. "So, Persephone, you said you needed help with something?"

"I did, didn't I?" Persephone bit her lip. "Well, you see, it's sort of a… personal vendetta. I can assume you still hold a grudge against your brother, Zeus?"

He raised an eyebrow. "And why does that interest you?"

Persephone walked over to one of the pillars in the room, and started tracing the sharply designed structure with her fingers. "I was thinking that we might be of some value to each other. You see… I was banished from Mt. Olympus."

"Really?" Hades summoned a cigar in his hand. He flicked his thumb, igniting the tip of it and using it to light his cigar. "You must have done something pretty serious to receive a punishment like that."

He saw Persephone's expression go dark, and she narrowed her eyes at the floor, her hands tightly gripping the edges of the pillar. "Nothing, that's just it, that bastard Zeus framed me. There I was minding my own business, and then he actually had the nerve to try to…." Her nails dug into the stone material. "Try to…."

Hades watched Persephone. Tears were swelling in her eyes, and her breathing was heavy. It didn't take much for him to put two and two together. _Of course, Zeus' trademark move. Find a pretty girl and take advantage of her._ Hades furrowed his brow. "Wait, what do you mean he tried to?"

She lifted her head to meet his gaze. "Well… I sort of fought him off a little. Before he could do anything else, the other gods showed up. However, they didn't see the whole exchange, just me trying to choke him with one of my vines. So he switched the story around and said that I was trying to attack him on purpose." Persephone stood up. "He put me up on trial and everything; I was humiliated. No matter what I said, none of the other gods believed my story. And then he banished me." She scowled. "That asshole!"

Persephone punched the pillar she was standing beside. Her hand collided with its sharply carved edges, and she quickly pulled it back, wincing. She cradled her sore hand in the other and slowly rubbed it.

"Sorry."

"No, it's perfectly understandable." Hades took a drag from his cigar and let out a puff of smoke. "And what do you want me to do?"

"Like I said, I want revenge. On all of them." Persephone's gaze deepened into a dark glare, the tone of her voice lowering. "I want Zeus dead."

Hades stared at her, his lips losing grip on the cigar. The glare she had was full of fire and malice and, combined with the delicate features of her face, made her alluring in a sinister way._ I think I'm in love_. He shook his head, mentally knocking himself out of the daze he was in. Leaning back, he let out a small chuckle. "You and me both."

Persephone's eyebrows raised, her expression more wide-eyed and hopeful. "Then you'll help me? I could never achieve something like this on my own, and you're the only one who's ever dared to challenge Zeus. But if we were to work together, we could come up with a plan to get rid of him once and for all." She bit her lip. "So, what do you think?"

_Okay, I really must be hallucinating. This has to be a practical joke._ He rubbed his temples, but did his best to make it look like he was just thinking. Hades lowered his hand and locked eyes with her. He felt himself almost go into a hypnotic trance. _No, there really is a gorgeous goddess sitting in front of me, who seems to hate the Olympians as much as I do and wants revenge._

Persephone furrowed her brow. "Well…?"

Hades quickly brought himself to his feet. He held out his hand. "You've got yourself a deal, babe."

Smiling, Persephone took his hand and shook it. "Perfect. So where do we start?"

Hades chuckled. "Not so fast. You just got here. How about we get to know each other first, say over dinner?"

She nodded. "Sure, I'd like that. Although, just so you know, I'm a… vegetarian."

"No problem. Now why don't you get comfortable and relax while I get things ready, and Pain and Panic will prepare your room."

"A room? Oh, you don't have to go through all that trouble."

"Nonsense, I insist." Hades grinned. "Think of it as a little gift for fishing me out of the Phlegethon." He put a hand to his chin and thought for a minute. "Uh, how about you wait here while I get everything ready?"

She smiled. "Very well."

Hades disappeared from the throne room in a puff of smoke.

….

Persephone walked over to one of the large, round windows. It overlooked the river Styx. She looked down, watching the current drag the souls to another part of the Underworld. The water was clear, unlike the other river she had pulled Hades out of. She could hear screams in the distance; however, the direction they were coming from was unclear.

Hugging her arms around herself, Persephone shivered. _I wonder what else is down here? Still, this is the Underworld; I suppose it'd be normal._

She turned her attention to the throne room. Everything was made out of dark stone and the architecture was very gothic. All of the pillars had been carved into strange spiky designs unlike the traditional ones she had seen on Mt. Olympus. Even the throne itself was very plain with ghost-like curtains hanging behind it, a complete contrast to Zeus', which sat grand and golden amongst the stars and clouds.

_Heh, Mt. Olympus. It's not that great. Especially with such an idiot as a ruler._ Persephone frowned.

"Ready, babe?"

Persephone turned and saw Hades walking over to her. "That was fast."

"Didn't want to keep you waiting." Hades offered her his arm and smiled. "Shall we go then?"

Persephone paused, her eyes focused on his mouth. Instead of regular teeth, he had two rows of sharp fangs. However, they weren't animalistic or intimidating._ It kind of works for him._ She placed her hand on his arm and stood. "Sure, lead the way."

As they left the throne room, Persephone found herself staring at his feet. Well, if she could see his feet. The bottom of his chiton swirled into tendrils of smoke, making him practically glide across the floor. Her gaze shifted to his arm; it was incredibly warm at the touch.

Persephone rolled her eyes to herself. _No surprise given his powers._ Still the heat radiating from him was tempting; it was something she was lacking. And his scent…. _Like smoke burning off of embers._ And his skin, it was so soft and pale. _I wonder…._ A nauseous sting filled her stomach, and she felt her skin start to itch. Persephone put a hand to her mid-section and mentally slapped herself out of her daze. _Not here. You have to maintain control._

"Here we are." Hades opened to wide doors and let Persephone step inside.

There was a long dining table in the center of the room with two chairs on either end. On it was a centerpiece with several candles. Like all the other torches she had seen, the candles were flickering with blue flames.

"How sweet." Persephone looked at Hades. "It's almost like we're on a date."

"A date, sure… I mean…." Hades guided her to her seat and pulled out the chair. "I wanted to make things a little nicer than usual. I don't get guests very often."

Persephone sat down. In front of her was a large plate of salad and a glass of red wine.

Hades took his seat. "So, Persephone, where are you from? I can't say that I've seen you around Mt. Olympus."

She took a sip of her wine. "Oh, I don't get out much." Sighing, she sat the glass down. "My mother prefers that I stay cooped up at home."

On Hades' plate was a large bowl of worms. Taking his fork, he twirled a few of the squirming parasites onto it. Bringing the fork to his mouth, he slurped the worms up like spaghetti. "And who is your mother?"

Persephone paused, her eyes shifting down to the salad in front of her. "Demeter." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he still managed to hear her.

Hades stared at her. "Demeter? Ol' big, mean, and green."

Persephone saw Hades glance her up and down, obviously trying to find some resemblance between her and the Earth Goddess. _I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't_. His eyes met hers; and he looked like he was digging information from them. _His eyes are so… calculating; it's like they can see right through me._ _And yet, they're very inviting._ She saw his pupils slightly dilate, and he nodded, apparently finding his answer.

"And your father?"

"Don't have one." She took one of the large olives from her plate and bit into it. "Mother self-replicated me with her powers."

"Well, that would explain it." Hades summoned a martini glass into his hand and took a sip of the green liquid inside. "Anyway, how long has it been since my little Titan escapade?"

Persephone thought for a minute. "About three months."

"Three months? I was down there for that long?" Hades frowned before smirking. "Hold on, this is perfect. Zeus probably thinks I'm out of the picture for good; he won't suspect anything."

"I don't know about that." Persephone furrowed her brow. "After my little incident, I'm sure they're probably on their guard again."

"Then we'll wait. And what about you? Your mother isn't going to come searching for you, is she?"

Persephone shook her head. "No, I've already taken care of that. Don't worry. And since we're playing twenty questions, why did you try to take over Olympus in the first place?"

He shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? I mean look at this place. Who'd want to spend the rest of eternity in the dark among all these stiffs?"

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Well, I suppose it would get quite lonely. Of course the same could be said after spending fifty years trapped in a meadow with nothing but mindless nymphs to talk to."

The two of them locked eyes briefly before Persephone drew her gaze away, a light blush on her face.

"Although, you probably have it better than me. I'm not even a fully established goddess yet." She took another sip of wine. _What is wrong with me?_

Hades and Persephone continued to eat in silence. It was eerie, having nothing but the sound of moaning souls around them. Persephone finished off her salad, but she could feel her body reject the offer of food. She knew what it wanted, what it was literally screaming at her for.

_No, not now. Please._ She saw Hades sneak a glance at her. _He seems to be doing that a lot. Then again why should I be surprised?_ She covered her mouth and yawned. "How late has it gotten? I feel like I've been down here for days."

Hades chuckled. "Oh, you'll get used to that." He stood up. "In the meantime, why don't I show you to your room?"

"That would be nice. Thank you." Persephone stood. She followed him out of the room. "It's strange."

He glanced back at her. "What is?"

"That you're being so kind to me. My mother never spoke well of you, and even your reputation amongst the mortals isn't exactly pleasant." She laughed. "I have to admit I'm glad."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

She walked beside him. "That they were wrong."

She saw Hades pause and remain silent. They headed upstairs and down one of the dark halls. The only source of light was coming from the torches on the walls as well as Hades' hair. He stopped in front of one of the doors.

"Well, this is it." He opened the door, so Persephone could go inside. "Just call if you need anything. And tomorrow we'll begin our plans."

Persephone stepped into the room. "Yes, thank you, Hades." She turned around and smiled. "Goodnight."

Hades met her gaze before uttering, "Goodnight."

Persephone shut the door, and her smile faded.

She closed her eyes; she could still sense him, the scent of his vitality filling her nose. Finally, she heard his footsteps disappear from the hall. She focused her attention on the room. It was an average size, and just a dark and gloomy as everything else she had seen. There was a bed against the right wall. The head and footboard had the same sharp carving design. The covers and pillows were black; she had to squint her eyes just to see them on the bed.

_He really likes the creepy décor, doesn't he?_ Persephone walked over to the large, round window on the far wall and sat on the edge. It looked over a part of the Underworld, although it was hard to tell what. A thick fog hazed over the land, making it look like an endless abyss.

"He was kinda cute, wasn't he?"

Persephone sighed. "Hello, Zeke."

A man appeared on her knee. He stood about three inches tall, and wore a short, white chiton that only reached to his knees. His hair was dark and contrasted with his olive skin.

He gave her a curt bow. "At your service."

"And what makes you think I need your help?"

Zeke tapped the top of his head with his finger. "Uh, hello, I'm your conscience. I wouldn't be here if you didn't."

She shrugged. "Fine, what do you have to pester me about this time?"

Zeke floated up into the air and sat cross-legged in front of her face. "Would it kill you to show some appreciation?" Persephone just rolled her eyes in response, making him sigh. "Look, all I said, was that you seemed to have taken a liking to Hades over there."

"Honestly, don't be stupid." She glared at him. "I just met the guy."

"Hey, I'm your conscience, remember? I wouldn't be saying it if you weren't already thinking it."

Persephone folded her arms and stared out the window. "I'm serious. After all, I have more important things to worry about. Don't forget the reason I came down here."

"To study the dead, and try to come up with an antidote for your little _problem_." He quoted his fingers on the last word.

"Exactly. The answer has to be here; I know it." Persephone's breath caught in her throat, making her cough repeatedly. She lost her balance and fell on to the floor.

Zeke gasped and flew over to her. "Persephone?"

Her coughing soon developed into a haggard wheeze. She tried to bring her hands to her neck, but she felt her body freeze in place. Her veins began to burn and tighten, and the nerves within her skin started to lose all sensation.

"How long, Persephone?"

Her blood-shot eyes found Zeke, and she let out a painful gasp. "Three days."

"Three days. You went without for three days!" Zeke put a hand to her face. "What were you thinking?"

Persephone's eyes rolled into the back of her head, the pain becoming unbearable. Zeke's shouts were drowned out until he ceased to exist completely. She groaned. Her skin painfully itched, and her stomach started to fill with an insatiable hunger. And there it was, the scent. Hades' vitality; it had taunted her the entire time she had been around him. Calling to her, begging her to lose control.

_No, you can't. Resist; stop!_ Persephone gritted her teeth, tears spilling from her eyes. But it was too late, she had stalled past her limit, and now her body was disconnecting from her. _I have to return to the surface. Quick._

With the last of her strength, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A cloak appeared over her form, and she fled through the window, letting the congregating scents of the mortals above lead her way.

….

Above ground in the deep, dark, forest, two men trudged their way down the narrow, dirt path. They were both dressed in armor and wearing swords at their sides.

"Hey, are you sure we're going the right way?" The shorter of the two glanced around, his ginger hair shining under the small patch of moonlight. The trees were barren and looked rotten in some spots. And the bushes covering the ground were nothing but empty twigs equipped with spiky thorns. A breeze swept across them, echoing through the branches of the trees with a haunting whistle. "This place isn't too friendly."

"Don't be such a spineless twit! This is the fastest way to the next village." The second man was taller and brawny. His dark, beady eyes looked ahead and narrowed at something in the distance. A grin spread across his broad face, and he quickly nudged his companion before pointing forward. "Ah ha, look there. Some old man has lost his way."

The shorter man looked in the direction the other was gesturing. A cloaked figure was leaning against one of the trees, their form hunched over. He smirked and said in a low tone, "Such rotten luck." He reached for his sword and quickly pulled it out of the sheath. "Perhaps we should help him."

They both crept over to the old man. The taller man pointed his sword at him. "Hand over your valuables, and we might consider sparing your life."

The old man didn't respond, but instead slowly lifted his head, his face still hidden under the cloak. He moved away from the tree and staggered to find his balance. He finally stood straight, his legs spread wide apart and his arms hanging loose at his sides.

The taller man stepped forward. "What's the matter, old timer? You mute or somethin'?"

The old man sluggishly stumbled over to them; a faint moan emitted from him.

"What are you playing at? We don't have all night!" The taller man roughly snatched the front of the old man's cloak and pulled him closer.

The hood of the cloak fell back, revealing….

The shorter man grinned. "Hey, it's a woman."

The taller man eyed her. "A bit on the sickly side, but she's a beauty. I say we… aaah!"

The woman lunged forward and bit into the taller man's neck. He tried to push her off, but her grip was too strong. They toppled back onto the ground, the man's cries turning into gasps for air and soon incomprehensible gurgles.

"Get off of him, you filthy wench!" The shorter man grabbed the woman by her hair and yanked her away from his companion. Looking down, he saw that his friend's neck had been completely chewed out. "A monster." He raised his sword. "I'll slay you!"

However, before he could attack, he felt five, sharp digits pierce straight through his armor, into his abdomen, and out of his back. Blood spurted from his mouth.

"Aaaaaah!"

The woman sunk her teeth into his wrist, making him drop his sword. The last thing he saw before his thread of life snapped was two, blood red eyes.

….

Hades returned to the throne room, a grin on his face. _Wow, what a babe. Her eyes, and that smile, and that voice…. I could listen to it all day. And I don't even know where to get started on that figure._

A loud ding sound graced his ears. Briefly glancing up, he saw two souls float past and into a dark hallway on the other side of the room. The numbers on the large soul counter above flipped, adding the two dead mortals to the Underworld's collection.

Sitting on his throne, he sighed. "Pain, Panic, get over here!"

Panic walked over to him. The thin imp had his tail curled in his hands, and he was biting his lips so hard that he could've chewed them right off. "Uh, yes, Boss?"

"Boys, I need you to fix this place up for our new guest. She's going to be here for a while, and I want her to feel comfortable." He smirked to himself. _And if I play my cards right, that might change into forever._

Pain waddled over and stood behind Panic. "But, Boss…."

Hades' skin tinged orange. He quickly took a deep breath and spoke in a sweet tone. "Pain, Panic, I would strongly suggest you follow this order without complaint. After all, you did try to abandon me in the Phlegethon. Which reminds me…." He snatched both imps by the neck, his skin turning completely red and his fire flaring out of control.

He exploded into a super nova, his orange flames consuming the entire room. When the fire dispersed, Hades was left standing in front of his throne, his coloring back to normal. He heaved, catching his breath. Pain and Panic were nothing but two piles of ash on the floor. The whole room was scorched black; parts of the pillars had been blasted off and now covered the floor with debris.

"Well, I feel better." Hades smoothed a hand over his hair. "Now hop to it, boys, I want this place spic and span." He headed out of the room and upstairs to his bedchambers.

….

Persephone opened her eyes. The cool breeze blowing past her let her know she was outside. As her vision became clearer, she could see that she was in a forest.

_Wait, my skin, I can feel again. And I can think…. I'm conscious._ She smacked her lips; her mouth tasted slimy and metallic. _Blood. No, it happened again._

She looked down at herself; blood covered the cloak she was wearing. Across from her were two corpses. It was nighttime, making her squint to see. From what she could tell, they were two, very muscular men, or at least that's what they used to be. Parts of their flesh had been chewed off, and one was missing his entire arm. She heard one of the corpses moan, and the body started to shift against the grass.

Eyes widening, Persephone created a vine and sliced the corpse's head off before it could stand up. She did the same to the second. Looking around, she didn't spot any wildlife or witnesses.

_I can't take any chances._ Persephone slowly brought herself to her feet, her legs shaky. She summoned a lighter into her hand. Flicking the flame on, she set both of the corpses on fire. She created more vines to fuel it and help it spread until that entire part of the forest was burning down.

Zeke appeared on her shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

Persephone stood still, letting herself get surrounded by the fire. "Of course not." She closed her eyes. "Tomorrow, I start my research. I have to find a solution; otherwise, fear the worst."


	2. Madness

Chapter One:

-Madness-

Persephone walked along the shore of the Styx; she had just returned from another trip above ground. She scoffed to herself._ Ha, trip. Like this is vacation or something. Like I'm not going to the above world to slaughter more innocent lives_. She glanced up in the direction of the palace._ It's been two months, and yet I still haven't made any progress. I would've never imagined spending my time in the Underworld of all places. The Fates must have a sense of humor._

She made her way over to her garden. Hades had let her build it, so she could feel more at home. She shook her head. Home? She didn't truly have a home anymore. However, she couldn't deny that having a small place to herself didn't make her feel a little at ease.

The entrance to the garden was big and formed a round arch in the side of the rocky wall; large, leafy vines hung down from the top like a curtain. Persephone brushed a few of the vines out of the way and stepped inside. The garden was inside of a deep cavern. It was very jungle like with various wild flowers and plants everywhere. There were tall, strong trees sprouting different kinds of fruit; a faint mist spilled across the floor, making the air very thick and humid. Of course, the temperature in most of the Underworld was very warm.

Creating a large basket in her hand, Persephone walked over to one of the trees and started picking fruit. She started to hum to herself before finally singing. Her voice was soft, low, and had a sad, dark tone to it; it echoed through the garden, evanescing into the air.

Isn't it ironic?

_How life can make a sudden turn?_

Isn't it so manic?

_How what you've lost is what you yearn?_

Isn't it so tragic?

_The visions haunting what remains._

It's just downright toxic.

_The pain stinging through your veins._

Persephone passed by a large pond and sat down on one of the rocks beside it.

But that's just the way it goes.

Seeing your dreams slip away like arrows.

It's the nature of never ending strife.

Getting by in this bittersweet afterlife.

She leaned onto her back and looked up. The mist rose up to the ceiling of the cavern, giving it the illusion of a cloudy night sky.

Doesn't it make you cry?

_Watching others move on with time._

Doesn't it make you sigh?

_Watching yours stop on the final chime._

Doesn't it make you lie?

_The words are truer the more they echo._

It hurts just to say goodbye.

_The very moment your spirit turns hollow._

She sighed.

But that's just the way it spins.

As you fade, someone else begins.

It's the nature of never ending strife.

Getting by in this bittersweet….

"My, my, you seem to be in a good mood."

Pausing, Persephone sat up. "Biggest overstatement of the year."

Zeke appeared on her knee. "Really? So what's wrong then?"

"Do I have to state the obvious?" Persephone sighed. "Anyway, can we save this conversation for another time? I've got things to take care of."

He yawned and reclined back. "If you insist. I'll be here if you need me." He vanished from sight.

Persephone stood up. "I really have to stop talking to myself. I've already got enough problems, no reason to add schizophrenia to the list." She sighed again. "And now for another meeting." She made her way out of the garden.

She had been dreading her meeting with Hades all morning. Just having her condition was bad enough, but constantly being around someone she couldn't kill was torturous. She had made sure to eat her fill while above ground in hopes that it would help her control herself while in his presence. Reaching the throne room, she knocked on the door.

It opened, revealing a smiling Hades on the other side. "Afternoon, Persephone, come in."

Persephone stepped into the room. "So what's on the agenda today, Hotshot?"

He closed the door behind her. "No plans this time, babe. I just thought we could get together for a little game." He gestured toward the large table in the center of the room.

It was a map of Greece. On one side, he had small little figurines of Zeus and the other gods on Mt. Olympus, and on the opposite were figurines of himself and the rest of the monsters in the Underworld. The way they were arranged made the map look like a chessboard.

Persephone pouted. "Chess? Come on, Hades, we've done this before. You know I suck at it."

Hades lightly rested his hand against her shoulder and guided her to the table. "Well, think of it as an excuse to… uh spend a little time together. I hardly ever see you."

_Because you'd be dead otherwise._ She raised an eyebrow. "I'm busy. And who are you to talk? One minute you're buried underneath a pile of paperwork, the next you're locked in here judging all day." She sat down on the large pillow that had been placed on one side of the table. "I'm surprised you still have time for that girlfriend of yours."

He sat on the opposite end. "Hey, I'm the ruler of this place. If I want to make time, I will." He rubbed his hands together with a smirk. "Now, you ready?"

"To lose? Naturally." Persephone looked at the pieces and picked up the one resembling Zeus. "Mind if I switch this one out?"

Hades shook his head. "Nah, go ahead."

Swirling her hand, a tiny figurine of herself, appeared in her hand. She placed it in the King's spot.

He nodded to her. "Ladies, first."

Persephone started at the pieces that were in the pawn spaces. Which one should she move? She picked the one on the very left end and moved it forward two spaces. Turn by turn, they kept going until most of Persephone's pawns had been taken away. She frowned at Hades, who taunted her by dangling the piece in her face before tossing it to the side.

_I really wish he'd stop doing that._ One, because she hated being teased, and two, because every time he did, she caught whiff of his scent and had to bite her lip to keep herself from lashing out at him. "Honestly, why do you like this game?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm partial to strategy."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've noticed." She moved one of her knights another few spaces only to have Hades take it away.

He grinned at her, holding the piece in the air. "Come on, babe, you're gonna have to try harder than that."

Huffing, she turned away and folded her arms. "Oh, forget it. I forfeit."

Hades chuckled. "Hey, no reason to be a sore loser."

"Strange words coming from you." She frowned. "Besides, you're impossible when you start gloating like this."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, alright. I'll try not to gloat too much. Now will you make a move already; it's your turn."

She met his gaze. "Why bother? This is such a stupid game."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you say that, babe?"

"Because it's completely unrealistic." She leaned back. "All of these rules and checks and boundaries. Real life situations aren't this cut and dry."

He rolled his eyes. "That's why this is a game."

"Yeah, based on the belief that logic and strategy wins the battle." She smirked. "I bet you wouldn't last a day in a world completely warped and nonsensical."

He stared at her briefly before returning her smirk. "Is that so, babe? And what are the stakes?"

"Uh, stakes?" She furrowed her brow. "I didn't mean it that way."

"Oh come on. It's just a little, innocent deal." He materialized a martini in his hand and took a sip from it. "On your end, I bet that you have to solve a problem using nothing but strategic methods. And if you win..." He tapped his chin. "I promise you Zeus' head on a platter."

_Well, that does sound tempting._ She tried to ignore the soft growling in her stomach and folded her arms. "And if you win…?"

"I'll figure it out when it happens." He grinned.

She narrowed her eyes. "You mean _if_."

"Yeah, yeah, details." He held out his hand. "Deal?"

Persephone sighed. "Well, what are the odds of either one of us having to do this?" She took his hand and shook it. "Deal." Looking up, she saw that he had materialized a bowl of…. _Are those human fingers?_ She pointed at the bowl. "What are you eating?"

He shifted his gaze from the bowl to her. "Just a little snack. Why?"

"Nothing." She put a hand over her mouth. _I really wonder about him sometimes._

Hades took a bite out of one of the fingers, making Persephone shudder. She wasn't sure if it was because she thought it was disgusting or because it was triggering her darker urges.

"Since I have you here, Persephone, I need to ask you something."

She put a hand over her stomach. "What?"

"Well, it's about Minthe and me." He took another bite out of the fingers. "What do you think about us?"

Persephone bit her lip and took a deep breath before shrugging. "Hey, whatever starts your pilot light. Makes no difference to me."

He looked at her. "It doesn't?"

"No. If she makes you happy, that's fine with me." She smiled. "You've always ranted about how no one ever likes you."

"Really… well, that's great." His smiled looked forced and from his tone, he seemed dissatisfied with her answer. Although, she couldn't imagine why.

Her gaze drifted toward the bowl. Just seeing the decapitated digits combined with the scent of Hades' presence was enough to send her over the edge. The pit of her stomach started to ache, making her bite her lip.

Hades noticed her silence and followed her gaze to his food. "Something wrong?"

She quickly shook her head. "No." She subconsciously smacked her lips, her tongue feeling dry.

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" He picked up one of the fingers and dangled it in front of her face. "I know you're a vegetarian and all. But you're free to try one if that's what's bothering you."

However, Persephone's gaze was no longer focused on the rotten finger but rather Hades' vulnerable hand. She abruptly grabbed his wrist, positioning it firmly in front of her face. And without a second thought, she opened her mouth….

"Hades!"

Hades turned, moving his hand from Persephone's grip, causing her to bite herself right in the arm. She whimpered and fell to the floor. In the doorway, stood a small nymph.

She stared at the two of them, her hands on her hips. "Am I interrupting something?"

Hades stood up. "Minthe, babe, you're a little early."

Minthe smiled. "When you're minions said that you wanted to see me, I couldn't wait another minute." She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "It's dreadful being all alone upstairs without you. The other nymphs just don't understand me."

Persephone sat up with one hand resting on the table. She quickly wiped her mouth, her back turned to the others. "Well, I see you're busy, Hades. So I'll just leave now." She stood up and headed for the door.

"Uh, alright." Hades frowned. "Just remember that we have another meeting tomorrow."

Persephone waved back at him with her free hand. "Got it." The second the doors shut behind her, she let out a loud gasp and looked back at her arm. There was a large, bite mark, and from the looks of it, she had almost ripped her own flesh completely off the bone. "That was too close." Using her goddess powers, she healed her arm until it returned to normal.

"Now!"

Something whacked her in the back of the head. She didn't fall unconscious, but the blow had been strong enough to make her delirious and defenseless to the green and magenta blurs that she saw dragging her away from the palace.

….

Hades sat down on his throne. Minthe stood before him and stared up at him with big, hazel eyes, her lip pouted.

Hades met her gaze and clasped his fingers together. "I'm sure you know why I called you up here, Minthe?"

Minthe smiled. "Perhaps. I mean we've been hitting it off so well."

"Yeah… right." Hades glanced away. "Look, things have been fun, truly, but it seems like you're not achieving the job I've brought you here to do." He met her gaze. "So I'm afraid I'll have to let you go."

"What?" Minthe furrowed her brow. "But why? You… you said you liked me." Tears formed in her eyes. "You told me you wanted a queen."

Hades chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, but I never specified that it'd be you. I already have another _queen_ in mind, and it looks like the _make her jealous approach_ isn't gonna work."

"Another queen?" Minthe glared at him. "You mean that stupid healer of yours? Why her? What does she have that I don't?"

Sighing again, Hades rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "Minthe, babe, please don't make this harder than it has to be. And come on, you can't possibly be that heartbroken. We've only been seeing each other for a few weeks."

"But, Hades…." Minthe slowly walked over to him, her hips swinging with each step. She climbed into his lap and draped her legs over the arms of the throne.

Hades glanced down. Like most nymphs, Minthe wore a short, male-ish type dress. This one in particular was dark green. It was wrapped tightly around her body, but her thin frame didn't have much to reveal. However, with her legs spread and arched up, Hades could see down her pale, leaf-green thighs all the way to her….

Hades smirked. _Ha! I knew_ _she never wore anything under that dress._

Raising her arms, Minthe clasped her hands behind his neck. She giggled and twirled her fingers in his flames. "How could you desire another?"

Minthe brought her face closer to Hades'. He narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side. From the corner of his eye, Hades saw Minthe frown. He then felt her left hand leave his hair, which was starting to flare in faint wisps. Minthe's hand slid gently down his neck to the collar of his shirt. She dipped her index finger underneath the thin material and drew circles along his chest.

"Let me show you why I'm more worthy." Minthe slipped her finger out of his shirt and pressed her palm to his clothed chest.

She dragged her hand down from Hades' chest to his abdomen, making sure to trace the grooves of his muscles along the way. Her hand rested just above the large bulge that was starting to show underneath his baggy chiton. Minthe lightly brushed her fingers over it.

_Oh, she's pushing it._ Hades bit back the moan that was about to escape from his lips. He met Minthe's gaze. "Not that this isn't tempting, babe, but I'm gonna have to respectfully decline." He shoved her off of him.

Minthe landed on her back. Groaning, she clumsily sat up. She stared at Hades, her eyes wide and swelling with tears. "But… I… I…." Her body trembled. "But I should be at your side!" She threw herself at Hades' feet. "I know you have your doubts, but I can make myself love you if that's what you want. Even if you don't feel the same, you can always cheat. I won't care. Just let me be queen! Please."

Hades stood up. "Minthe, I can understand you're upset for having to part with me, but you'll be just fine. Trust me. I'm sure you have plenty of friends to play with and frolicking to do topside." He shooed her out the throne room. "Now go on, get out of here."

Minthe started to sob. She glanced back at Hades, tears streaming down her face, before heading down the stairs.

Hades reentered the throne room. He rubbed his temples. "Yeesh, what a clingy crybaby."

Hades walked over to one of the large, round windows. From there, he could see Persephone's garden. He stared at it briefly before returning to his throne.

_Hades, come on, get your head out of the cosmos and face facts. Why would any goddess want to be with you? Every single one before Persephone has rejected me and laughed in my face. _He sighed._ But she's different, I can tell. She actually enjoys being around me, even if it's only on a friendly basis. And on top of that, she holds just as much of a grudge against the other gods as I do. Though I don't blame her. _

….

"Pain, Panic, what do you think you're doing? Let me go!" Persephone dissipated into flower petal and reappeared a few feet away from the imps. She glanced around. "And where did you drag me to anyway?"

They were in some deep, cavernous part of the Underworld. A red haze filled the area, and she could hear the cries and screams of the souls.

Panic flew up and met her face to face. "To the outskirts of Tartarus. We're going to get you to talk whether you like it or not."

Persephone raised an eyebrow. "Talk? About what, by any chance?"

"Don't think you can fool us!" Panic pointed at her. "There's something off about you, and Hades is too blind to see it."

"Yeah, well you're wasting your time," Persephone said.

Pain folded his arms. "Oh really, then why did we find your garden filled with skeletons?"

Her eyes widened so slightly that the imps didn't catch it. "You two are dumber than you look. This is the Underworld, remember?"

Panic narrowed his eyes. "There's no way there'd be that many in your garden alone. Plus some of them were killed recently. They were still covered with blood, and the remaining flesh looked like it had been eaten by something."

She snatched Panic by the neck. "Since when did you care about the affairs of mortals? Last time I checked, we're planning on taking over Olympus. And I don't recall seeing any skeletons in my garden unless you were snooping your big nose where it shouldn't have been."

"Or should it have?" Pain flew up and yanked Persephone's hair. She yelped and loosened her grip on Panic.

Panic wriggled free. "I don't know what it is." He glared at Persephone. "But ever since you came here, I've sensed a strange aura around you. Like some otherworldly…." His voice lowered to a creepy tone. "_Evil_."

Persephone huffed. "Honestly, paranoid much? If you really must know, those skeletons are from me feeding Cerberus."

Pain blinked. "What?"

"Cerberus and I have managed to bond." She shrugged. "He gets a few late night snacks, and I get to use the leftovers as fertilizer for my plants." She grinned. "So there you go. That's the big _otherworldly evil_ mystery you're worried about."

Pain shuffled back, his hands clasped behind his back. "Uh, Panic?"

Panic furrowed his brow. "That's it?"

Persephone nodded. "Yeah. Sorry to disappoint." She walked away. "Now if you don't mind, I have work to do." Persephone paused in her stride. She glanced at Pain and Panic from over her shoulder. "And I don't see why you're skeptical of me. Minthe is the one who's dating him."

Turning around, Persephone continued on her way. She stared up at the cavern walls. They stretched up for miles and faded into a dark mist. Folding her arms, she sighed.

….

_I can't believe it. He dumped me. _Minthe sat on the bottom of the steps while she waited for Charon. _And all because of that stupid healer. What was her name? I heard the imps say it once… Persephone? _Her eyes widened. _Wait? Persephone? Wasn't that the name of Demeter's daughter? The same one who was banished from Mt. Olympus?_ A smirk grew on Minthe's face.

Minthe saw Persephone walking along the shore on the other side of the river. "Hey!" She stood up.

Persephone glanced across the river. "Oh, it's her." Sighing, she continued her path to her garden.

"Don't you ignore me!" Minthe gripped her hands into fists.

Charon arrived, his thin, skeletal form slowly rowing the boat. Lifting the paddle, he stopped the boat at the dock.

Minthe quickly jumped inside of the boat. "Drop me off by the healer."

Charon shook his head. "Hades told me to lead you out of the Underworld. You're no longer welcome here."

"I don't care what he said." Minthe stomped her foot. "Take me over to the healer now!"

Charon closed his empty eye sockets and kept rowing toward the exit.

Growling, Minthe jumped out of the boat. She splashed into the Styx, and the souls inside started to drag her under. "Get off of me, you stupid things! I'm not one of you! How dare you touch me!" She pushed and swatted the souls away from her, ignoring the river's effects on her body. Her skin slowly wilted, and her hair turned brown and brittle.

Minthe was finally dragged under. She swung her arms wildly, trying to reach the surface. A long, thick vine pierced through the water and wrapped around her. It pulled her out and dropped her in front of Persephone on the shore. Minthe coughed out water while she cursed under her breath; her appearance returned to its normal, youthful shape. Charon rowed the boat to the shore.

Persephone held up her hand. "It's okay, Charon. I'll make sure she gets sent home."

Charon sighed. "Very well. But if Hades asks, I was never involved."

She gave him a short nod. "Of course."

Charon changed the course of the boat to follow the natural current away from the palace and left. Minthe quickly stood up. When she tried to walk, her legs were still shaky, and she landed on her knees in the dirt.

Resting her hands against her hips, Persephone looked at Minthe. "What do you want?"

Minthe lifted her head, her hair whipping out of her face. "Hades, that's what! This is my big chance, and I'm not going to let you ruin it!"

"Um, okay?" Persephone blinked. "Look, I don't know what kind of tiff you two are going through, but leave me out of it."

"I'd love to, but Hades doesn't feel the same apparently." Minthe scowled at her. She stood and dusted herself off. "He wants you instead of me."

Persephone furrowed her brow. She glanced away before shaking her head. "Don't be ridiculous. Hades doesn't feel anything toward me."

Minthe threw her arms in the air. "Oh, sure. It's always the stupid girls who get everything. You don't even know what you have. Hades is one of the three kings. He has power and wealth."

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Well, even if I was interested in Hades, it wouldn't be for the shallow reasons you just mentioned. And as far as stupid girls getting everything they want, I believe you're proving that statistic to be wrong." She walked away.

Minthe followed Persephone into the garden. She folded her arms. "If you don't stay away from Hades, I'm going to tell Demeter where her precious daughter has been all this time."

Persephone stopped in her tracks. She turned her head slightly. "What did you say?"

"I knew you looked familiar." Minthe walked over to her. "I just couldn't pinpoint it." She smirked. "Banished from Mt. Olympus. How pathetic could you get?"

Persephone narrowed her eyes. "Look, you little tree hugger, I've been more than kind to you since you've been here. However, if you decide to meddle in my affairs, I could always ring your neck. Don't forget that I am a _goddess_."

Minthe raised her left hand to slap Persephone. Seeing the action, Persephone ducked and grabbed her left arm. She pulled Minthe's arm behind her back. Taking out a knife, Persephone pressed it against Minthe's neck.

"Don't make me do this." She tightened her grip on Minthe. "I don't want to kill you."

Minthe raised her right leg, kicking Persephone in the face. She turned around, her fists raised. "You might as well 'cause I'm not stopping otherwise."

Persephone wiped her face with her hand. Glaring at Minthe, she snapped her fingers, creating a barrier that blocked the entrance to the garden. "Fine."

Minthe lunged at her. She managed to get a good grip in the goddess' hair and pulled it. Persephone let out a small scream; she grabbed Minthe's wrist and yanked it away from her head. Persephone pushed the nymph away, but her left hand was entangled in the hem of Minthe's dress, making it rip off.

Minthe landed on the ground, a clump of Persephone's hair in her hand. She slowly sat up. Looking down at herself, she realized she was completely naked. Her body was covered in dirt and small scrapes.

Minthe glared at her. "You bitch! How dare you!"

Persephone threw her hands to her sides. "Enough!"

A large vine sprouted underneath Minthe and wrapped around her body. It started to tighten and squeeze her to death. She tried to scream, but all she could do was gasp for air.

Persephone approached her. "I don't want to do this. Please try to see some reason." She brought her face close to Minthe's. "There is nothing going on between Hades and me." Waving her hand, she loosened the vine. "Do you understand?"

Minthe spat at her. "You're lying. He wouldn't have broken up with me if there wasn't."

Persephone sighed. Turning her back to Minthe, she snapped her fingers and made the vine disappear. Minthe fell to the ground and rubbed her neck.

"Believe what you want, but picking a fight with me isn't going to solve anything." Persephone looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Just go home." She walked away.

Minthe let out a frustrated yell. Just as Persephone was about to drop the barrier, Minthe charged at her and leapt onto her back. Persephone lost her balance and fell face-forward into a large rock. Her forehead collided with the narrower edge of the rock, sending a tremor through her skull. She rolled off to the side, her vision blacking out.

Minthe climbed off of her. She smirked. "You can hide it all you want, but I've seen the way you two look at each other. And I'm not letting anything stand in the way of my happy ending."

She was met with silence. Persephone remained still on the ground, her head facing away from her. Frowning, Minthe walked around Persephone's body and knelt down.

"Hello, are you listening to me?" Minthe growled when she heard no response.

She grabbed Persephone by her hair and forced the goddess to face her. Persephone's eyes were hollow and unfocused, and her mouth was slightly ajar. A small trail of drool trickled down her chin.

"Stay away from Hades, or I'll follow through with my threat." Minthe brought her face closer to hers. "Do I make myself clear?"

The pupils in Persephone's eyes dilated, a loud hiss erupting from her lips. She lunged at Minthe and bit down on her ear. Minthe felt Persephone's teeth pierce and pull away at her skin. She screamed.

"What are you doing? Get off me!" Minthe felt Persephone's hands grip roughly onto her shoulders. "Get off me!" She put her right palm on Persephone's face and pushed her back.

Her thumb got too close to the goddess' mouth, and Persephone bit down on it, breaking the bone with her teeth.

"Aaaaah! Stop! No!" Raising her left hand, Minthe slapped Persephone across the face.

Persephone let out a haggard gasp. She fell to the side, her nails digging into Minthe's skin and ripping off her right breast.

"Aaaah!" Minthe scrambled away.

There were four claw marks stretched across the right side of her chest, but luckily they weren't deep enough to damage any vital organs. Blood poured from her chest, and Minthe fell on her back, screeching in pain. She shakily raised her left hand, seeing a red soaked nub where her thumb used to be. A piece of the bone jutted out, and blood oozed down onto the rest of her hand. Feeling a painful sting in her head, Minthe brought her left hand to her ear. Half of it was chewed off.

_Sh… she bit me! _Whimpering, Minthe stared at Persephone, who now had blood dripping from her mouth. "What the fuck's wrong with you!"

Persephone's head quickly snapped up, her hollow eyes meeting Minthe's gaze. She hissed again, showing her bloodstained teeth, and slowly crawled over to Minthe.

_What is this? She's acting completely different. Something's wrong. I need to get out of here_. Minthe turned around and tried to walk out of the garden, but was met with a barrier. "What? Where did this come from?" Hearing Persephone get closer, she cried. "Someone help! Hades! You stupid imps! Help me!" She hit the barrier with her hand.

The barrier repelled Minthe, sending her flying into a deeper part of the garden. She landed on the ground, her back skidding across the dirt. She groaned and slowly sat up. The first thing Minthe's vision focused on was Persephone heading toward her.

….

_Maybe I should just talk to Persephone._ Hades rested his head against his hand. _But what do I say?_ _I'll… I'll… just tell her. Persephone… I love you. Or maybe I should just propose right there? No, that might be too forward. Ugh, I'll figure it out when I get there._

Hades left the throne room and headed for Persephone's garden. He reached the entrance and noticed the translucent haze from the barrier.

"Did Persephone put this up?" Hades put a hand to the barrier. "What for?" He frowned. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard for me to break through."

Hades released the energy from his powers to dissipate the barrier. However, instead of fading, the barrier changed to glass. He stared at his reflection briefly before the barrier returned to its translucent form.

_Strange._ Narrowing his eyes, Hades noticed that he only made a small hole in the barrier. "I guess Persephone's stronger than she appears." He grinned to himself. "Looks like she's destined to be my queen after all."

Hades stepped through the barrier. He glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. A high-pitched scream echoed through the air. The way it vibrated off the cavern walls made it sound like it was coming from behind him. He quickly turned around, but only saw the shore and the river Styx.

Hades shrugged to himself. "Just another soul screaming for help." He returned his attention to the garden and paused.

The garden was gone; in its place was a dark, empty field. He took a few steps back and glanced behind him. The barrier leading to the rest of the Underworld was gone. Instead, there was just a solid wall of rock.

_Wait… where am I?_ Hades continued to look around; he spotted shadows lurking in the distance but couldn't make out what they were. _The atmosphere seems the same, but this can't be the Underworld._ _I know that place like the back of my flame. And what happened to Persephone's garden? And Persephone herself for that matter? _Hades glanced behind himself one last time. _Well, there's no way to go back. I'll just have to move forward. _

Hades made his way through the empty field. The entire place was silent with no sign of life anywhere. The sky was dark and completely cloudless. Every now and then, he would hear the wind blow through leafless trees that bordered the surrounding edges of the field. He noticed there were more shadowy figures around than before.

_Okay, it definitely feels like I'm being watched._ Hades heard a raspy, breathing sound behind him. _And followed…._

"Gotcha!"

A loud, ear-deafening bang rang through the air and hit something behind Hades. He swiftly turned around and saw a body fall to the ground. He narrowed his eyes. Whoever it was, they were already dead.

"I don't think so!"

Hades looked in the direction of the voice and spotted a woman. She had her weapon pointed at another figure in the distance. Narrowing his eyes, he realized she was holding a gun and recalled the Fates mentioning it briefly during one of their various meetings. The woman shot the bullet, and another person fell to the ground, dead.

He shifted his gaze from the corpses to the woman. "Well, aren't you quick on your feet?"

The woman turned and stepped back, her eyes glancing over Hades' form. She raised her gun and pointed it at his face. "What are you?"

Hades looked the woman up and down. She had auburn hair that was tied back in a ponytail. He raised an eyebrow at her clothes. She was wearing a red vest, and a pair of red shorts that were cut so high they would've left very little to his imagination if she hadn't been wearing another article of black clothing underneath them. Luckily, she left plenty of fair skin exposed on her legs for him to admire.

The woman clicked her gun, drawing Hades out of his thoughts. She grazed her finger over the trigger. "Answer the question."

"Hey, babe, I'm not the one who came here firing that little weapon of yours." Hades' skin tinged orange. "So why don't you drop it right now before you end up like the two of them?" He gestured to the corpses.

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Forget it. I'm not backing down to some creepy bio-weapon like you."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Bio-what?" He gave a half chuckle. "I'm a god. Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead." He formed two fireballs in his hands.

She let out a small gasp. Straightening her posture, she held both of her hands in the air. "Alright, you win." She let the gun fall from her grip.

When the woman saw Hades' hands extinguish, she dropped down and caught her gun before it hit the ground. Lying on her side, she fired a bullet straight at Hades, but he disappeared in a puff of smoke before it hit him.

"What?" The woman quickly scrambled to her feet. She held out her gun, ready to pull the trigger. Her eyes darted in every direction, but she didn't spot Hades anywhere. "How did...?"

Hades appeared behind the woman and swiftly took the gun from her hands before she had a chance to react. "Now, babe, how about we start over…." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "And you give me the respect I deserve by telling your name."

The woman tried to pull away, but Hades held her in place. She sighed. "I'm Claire Redfield."

Hades tapped his chin with his finger while glancing Claire over once more. "Hmm, I think I'll call you Little Red. You like that don't you, babe? Of course you do." He stepped away from her. "And I'll make a deal with you. Promise to trust me, and I'll let you have your weapon back." He dangled the gun over her head.

Claire pursed her lips. She stared at Hades briefly before looking away. "Fine."

Hades dropped the gun in her hands. "See how easy that was, Little Red?" He folded his arms and glanced around. "Now how about you tell me what's going on here?"

She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Hey, one second I was walking through the Underworld, and the next, I end up here." Hades still felt the eerie feeling of being watched. A dull, moaning sound filled the air.

Turning around, Claire gasped. "Damn. More of them are starting to gather."

Hades looked in the direction Claire was facing. A horde of people was slowly heading toward them. Hades stared at them. Their pupil-less eyes were hollow, and their skin was pale and smeared with dried blood. Some had chunks of flesh missing from their bodies, and they looked like they hadn't changed their clothes in weeks.

_Wait, these people are dead, but they're not souls. They look like the corpses that were left behind._ Hades shifted his eyes at all the corpses coming toward them, their hands reaching out. _Why is the dead walking around in the open like this?_

Claire pulled the trigger of her gun and struck one of the corpses straight in the head. Blood splattered from its skull, and it fell to the ground.

Claire glanced behind herself. "Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to help me before they eat us alive?"

Hades scoffed. "I'm immortal. What do I have to be worried about? But if it'll make you feel better, Little Red, I guess I could help. You may want to duck."

Seeing his hands, Claire's eyes slightly widened. She quickly crouched down. Hades extended his arms forward and shot a wave of fire that engulfed the corpses. Shrieks and gurgled howls echoed out of the flames. When the noises stopped, he dropped his hands. Claire stood up and gasped. All the corpses had been reduced to smoldering piles of ash. The only movement that could be found was the flickering of the small fires left over from the attack.

Hades grinned. "Bada boom."

Claire shook her head. "I don't believe this."

Hades rolled his eyes. "What part of _I'm a god_ didn't you understand?"

"But there's no…." Claire heard more moaning in the distance. "We shouldn't stay here. More of them will show up." She walked ahead of Hades. "Come on. I know a place we can hide."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "And what reason do I have to hide?"

Claire put her hands on her hips. "Hey, do you want to find out where you are, or don't you?"

Hades held up his hands and sighed. "Fine, Little Red, fine. I'll go with you." He glanced back at the lurking shadows. _First, I'll get the information I need from her, and then I'll search for Persephone._


	3. Tea Time

Chapter Two:

-Tea Time-

_Wha… what happened?_ Persephone groaned. She shifted, realizing she was lying on the ground. Lifting her head slightly, Persephone felt a sharp pain in her forehead. She quickly put her hands to her head, her body folding into a fetal position. "My head."

Persephone took a deep breath and felt the pain to subside. She slowly opened her eyes. It was daylight, and she could see various green plants surrounding her. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Oooh, the nerve of that stupid nymph." Persephone glanced around. "If I ever get my hands on her, I'll…." She blinked. "Wait… this isn't my garden. I'm in a forest." She brought a hand to her head, her fingers entangling in her hair. "I don't remember going above ground."

_"We know there's something wrong with you."_

Persephone looked up, but saw no one.

_"Hades is just too blind to see it."_

_That sounds like Pain and Panic._ She frowned. "Are you two at it again? I told you before to mind your own business!"

_"Hades should get rid of you! You're a monster!"_

"How dare you!" She stood up. "Why don't you two come and say that to my face?"

Turning around, Persephone saw a rabbit sitting on a branch in front of her. She narrowed her eyes. The rabbit had pink fur and was rather chubby. It stared up at her with yellow eyes.

"Your disguises can't fool me, Pain." Persephone reached out for him.

Pain hopped out of the way and landed on the ground.

"Get back here!" She chased after him.

She ran through the forest, ignoring the branches that tore at her black dress. Pain hopped over a large pile of brown leaves. He stopped and sat behind it.

Pushing through a large bush, Persephone spotted Pain. "There you are, you stupid imp."

When Persephone set her foot on the pile of leaves, she fell straight through it. She let out a scream, feeling her body plummet into the pit. Glancing around, she could see stray leaves falling around her. Beyond that was pure darkness.

_What's going on? Is this some type of trap?_ Persephone prepared herself for some kind of impact, but it never came. _How deep is this hole?_

_"You know, babe, curiosity killed the cat."_

"Hades?" Her eyes darted around, but she didn't see him.

_"One thing you'll learn, my dear, is that as the God of Gods, I always get what I want."_

She raised an eyebrow. "Zeus? But I still don't see anyone. Where are these voices coming from?"

_"It doesn't matter who you were, you are my daughter now, and you shall respect and obey me in the way I deserve!"_

"Oh, you're Demeter now." Persephone glared at the black abyss surrounding her. "Whoever you are, show yourself!"

_"Such a poor girl we see._

_Rescued from such frightening debris."_

The voice sounded like three, old women. A large eye appeared in front of Persephone. It wasn't attached to anything and floated weightlessly in front of her. The eye itself was blood-shot, and the pupil narrowed into a slit. The whole eye increased in size and slowly circled around her.

_"Two worlds will collide._

_And you must pick a side."_

Multiple floating eyes came forth from the darkness. They were different sizes and colors, and all of them stared at Persephone while she continued to fall.

_"For your soul and body have split._

_But to which will you submit?"_

Persephone covered her face with her hands. _What's going on? What is all this?_

_"One will fulfill your dreams._

_The other will aid others' schemes._

_In both, you'll rule the dead._

_Choose and remember what has been said."_

The eyes surrounding Persephone faded away. Finally, she felt her legs land on something solid. From what she could see, she was sitting on a wood floor. However, all that was visible was the spot she was in.

"Well, at least I've stopped falling." She hugged her arms around herself. "Now I only have to worry about where I am. Easier said than done, and what was the deal with that poem? And the voices?"

A tiny flame appeared in a few steps away from her. Floating in the air, it softly crackled in the silence.

_Where did that come from?_ Persephone stood up. She reached out her hand, making the flame move away from her. "Hey, come back."

The flame stopped. It flew over to her, and then returned to its original spot.

"Oh, I see. You want me to follow you." Persephone took a step forward before pausing. _Wait, why am I talking to a fireball?_ She blinked. _Who am I kidding? This couldn't get any stranger._ She walked over to the flame. "Now which way do we go?"

The flame bounced away, revealing new spots of light on the floor. Persephone continued to follow it. It wasn't long before she reached a large door.

She gasped. "Charon?"

The skeletal ferryman was embedded into the door. Persephone approached him and placed her hand on his jaw.

"Charon?" She furrowed her brow. "Are you alright?"

His head moved slightly. "I would be if you stopped touching me."

She drew her hand back. "Sorry. How did you get stuck in the door?"

"I've always been here." He narrowed his hollow sockets. "Maybe you weren't paying attention."

"That's not true. You ferry the boat across the Styx." She frowned. "What's going on? Are we even in the Underworld anymore?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Charon closed his eyes.

The door slowly creaked open. Persephone peered inside and saw that it led to a large, dark room. The only thing she could make out was a long table sitting in the center. There were chairs aligned all around it.

"Well… isn't this a pleasant reunion?"

_It can't be._ Her eyes widened. Following the sound of the voice, she spotted a figure sitting at the far opposite end of the table.

Persephone felt an unknown force pull her into the room. The door shut behind her. A set of candles that were sitting in the middle of the table lit aflame. It illuminated the table with an orange glow, but the rest of the room remained dark. Her gaze fell on the figure. The extra lighting revealed that it was a man. Her heart skipped a beat, and she took a step back.

The man lifted his head to face her. His black suit blended most his body into the shadows, and made his pale skin and blond hair give him a ghost-like appearance. Persephone couldn't see his eyes for he was wearing a pair of sunglasses, but it still felt like his eyes were piercing through hers and right into her soul.

"Wesker." Persephone's lip trembled, her voice barely above a whisper.

….

Claire led Hades to an abandoned house. She held out her gun and glanced around. "We're away from the city now. We should be safe here."

Hades sighed and folded his arms. "So do you mind telling me where we are now?"

Claire put a finger to her lips. She opened the door and checked inside. Seeing the coast was clear, she motioned for Hades to follow her. They made their way into the kitchen. It was fairly small, and there weren't any windows. She found a light switch and turned it on.

"We're just outside of Raccoon City." She looked under the table.

Hades leaned against the wall. "But we're still in Greece, right?"

Claire met his gaze. "No, this is the United States." She pointed her gun at him. "Now enough of your questions. You told me to trust you, but I'm still not convinced."

"Back to this again, Little Red?" He narrowed his eyes. "Hey, I just saved you back there."

"Yes, but that doesn't excuse your appearance." Claire glanced him over. "And your abilities for that matter." She readied her gun. "How could I not think that you're one of them?"

Hades groaned. "I told you before. I'm a…."

She glared at him. "Yeah, I know, a god. That's what all the Umbrella higher ups say. Or are you just another one of their experiments?"

The flames on Hades' head rippled and started to spread along the rest of his body. "Look, you little…." He took a deep breath and calmed himself down before forcing a smile. "I'm the Lord of Underworld, you've heard of me, haven't you, Little Red? Most mortals have, which is why they're too afraid to speak my name." He saw Claire furrow her brow. "Still not clear yet? How about Poseidon and Zeus?" Hades frowned. "They're usually the more popular sons of Cronus."

Claire blinked. "I've heard of Hades as well as the other gods and titans, but they're just a part of the Ancient Greek mythologies. They're not real."

"Not real?" Hades gestured to himself. "You have one of them standing right in front of you." He raised an eyebrow. "And what do you mean by ancient?"

"Well, the Greek civilizations that the mythologies came from haven't been around for two thousand years or more." She sat on the edge of the table. Thinking for minute, she paused. "Right now, it should be the year 1998 A.D."

"1998?" Hades' eyes widened slightly. "That can't be it. The year's 1279."

Claire stared at him. "Normally I wouldn't think this would be possible, but after everything I've seen dealing with Umbrella, you must be an actual god." She met his gaze. "And you've traveled through time to the future."

He let the information soak in before he groaned. "Great. Just when I was about to confess my feelings to the one goddess I've ever cared about, I end being hurtled into the future." He rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Where's Pain and Panic when I need them?"

She bit her lip. "Well, if you're a god, can't you just send yourself back?"

He glanced at her. "A brilliant idea, Little Red, if it wasn't for the fact that I don't know how I got here in the first place."

"Well, do you remember what happened before you came here?" She stood up.

Hades folded his arms. "I was heading into Persephone's garden, but there's was barrier in the way. I broke it down somewhat, and when I went through, I ended up here."

Claire blinked. "Persephone? You mean the girl you kidnapped, raped, and forced to marry you?"

"Excuse me?" He narrowed his eyes.

"That's the myth about you and Persephone." She folded her arms. "Everyone knows it."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Well, obviously something got lost in translation after three thousand years." He shrugged. "That aside…." Sighing, he glanced away. _The barrier was in front of Persephone's garden. What if she's out here too?_

"What?" She noticed his expression. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, Little Red. In the mean time, I need to figure out a way to get out of this place."

Claire walked over to him. "Maybe we could help each other. You see; I'm a little lost myself, and I was hoping to try and see if my brother, Chris, is here…."

A loud crash echoed outside of the kitchen door.

….

Persephone shook her head. "How are you… what are you doing here?"

"Strange." Wesker faintly quirked one eyebrow. "When I first released you, you could barely speak. You've made progress." He clasped his gloved hands together. "And it's quite fortunate that you've returned to me."

"You wish. I'll never go back to you." She glared at him. "Not after what you did to me, you monster!"

Wesker jumped up from his chair and swooped down to Persephone in less than second. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her into the wall behind her. Letting out a loud gasp, she struggled against his grip, but she couldn't pry his hand off of her. She swiped at his face, knocking his sunglasses onto the floor, and found herself staring into two yellowish-red slit eyes.

"I'm using all of my strength, and yet I cannot feel your bones and flesh crushing underneath my grip." With his free hand, Wesker took out a knife and brought it to Persephone's face. He pressed it into her right cheek, but the blade merely bent until it snapped in half. "Your skin is impenetrable. And your body has retained a human shape with no deformities. One could be fooled to think that you were still alive. How is this?"

Persephone pulled at his wrist. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Have you forgotten that I created you?" Wesker lifted her off the floor. "You had just as many flaws as the ones before you, and I have not made any recent alterations since that meddling Chris Redfield broke into the facility and separated us." He tightened his grip. "Now what has caused this change in you?"

"Ambrosia." Persephone whimpered. "I was given Ambrosia."

Wesker narrowed his eyes. "What is this substance?"

A tear rolled down Persephone's cheek. "I don't know. It's the food of the gods."

"Well, it seems it's managed to stabilize the T and G virus inside of you." Wesker released her.

Persephone slid to the floor and held her neck.

Wesker made a few steps toward the table before stopping. "I could have left you to rot, you know, but instead I saved you."

"Saving? You've corrupted me." Persephone brought herself to her knees. "I can't touch anyone. I can't even be near anyone without wanting to kill them."

"Murder? Is that all that upsets you?" Wesker let out a small laugh. "Don't you realize what you have?" He took Persephone by the arm and brought her in front of a mirror. "Look at yourself. You are stronger, faster, more agile, every sense you have has been heightened."

Persephone stared at her reflection. _Sometimes I don't even recognize myself anymore._

Her reflection stared back at her. Her hair was in a messy bun and had strands sticking out all over the place. And then there was her skin, so perfect and flawless. Even the shape of her face and the contours of her body were something worthy of a goddess.

_Is that what I am?_ She frowned.

She could see pass the reflection. The monster that lurked just below the surface. She could feel it coursing through her veins.

Wesker stood behind her. "You do realize this is a one in a million chance? You were born with the right blood type. I'm sure you remember the usual fate when someone comes in contact with one of the viruses."

The reflection of Persephone faded in the mirror and was replaced with a scene. She watched while hordes of corpses aimlessly wandered about and fed upon their innocent victims. She closed her eyes, the helpless screams filling her ears.

"Instead of mourning your death, you should be celebrating your birth. Or rather un-birth." Wesker gently pulled back some of her hair that was covering her shoulder. On the very back where her neck and shoulder met was a mark. It read: _T-201_. A tiny smile graced Wesker's lips. "You are Persephone: Destroyer of Light. The strongest Tyrant to date."

_Well, you've gotten the tyrant part right. _Persephone lowered her head.

"And now there is only one step left." Wesker grabbed her arm. "I need a sample of your blood."

She looked at him. "What?"

"Do not believe that I created you for the purpose of being a Good Samaritan." Wesker bent down and pick up his sunglasses. "If I am to be a god among men, it would be rather unfitting to have an experiment that's stronger than I am. Wouldn't you agree?" He put the sunglasses back on his face.

"What do you mean?" Persephone shied away from him.

"That extra ingredient has made you invincible." Wesker narrowed his eyes. "Immortal even. That is a power that should be mine." He snatched her by the straps of her dress and pulled her close to him.

Her face was inches from his. She trembled, feeling his eyes pierce through hers again.

Wesker smirked. "And you're going to give it to me."

….

Claire faced the kitchen door and whispered, "What was that?"

The knob to the door slowly turned. She raised her gun. The door slowly creaked open, but only silence followed. Furrowing her brow, she stepped forward. Still, nothing. She took another step, and the door burst opened, the hinges snapping clean off. Out from the shadows jumped a large, green-scaled creature. Claire shot it in the chest, knocking it down. The creature fell onto its back and squirmed on the floor.

Hades looked at the creature. Aside from its skin, it had two long arms equipped with large, sharp claws. He raised an eyebrow. "Yeesh, what are these ugly things?"

"Hunters." Claire heard another crash come from outside of the kitchen. "And it sounds like there's more of them." She looked back at Hades. "We have to get out of here."

Hades shrugged. "What for? We can just get rid of them and stay here."

The Hunter Claire shot stood back up. It jumped at Hades, but he blasted it into the floor with a fireball.

He looked at her. "See, Little Red. No big deal."

Sparks from the attack caught fire on the floor and quickly spread onto the wall.

Claire stepped back. She frowned. "Yeah, except you set the house on fire."

Hades turned and realized the flames were engulfing the wall. They quickly licked their way up and onto the ceiling.

"Whoops." He held out his hand. "Come on."

Another Hunter ran into the kitchen and jumped in between Claire and Hades. Claire shot it in the shoulder, making it turn around. It jumped and slashed her in her right arm. Her gun slipped from her hands and slid into the fire. She screamed and clutched her arm. The Hunter raised its claws to slice at her again, but was struck dead by another one of Hades' fireballs. More sparks caught fire onto the carpet in the other room, lighting the rest of the house ablaze.

Hades quickly made his way over to her. Hearing a screeching sound, he paused. A third Hunter caught his eye, and he only had a second to teleport away before it lopped his head off from behind.

….

Claire coughed, the smoke from the flames filling the room. She glanced across the tiled floor and saw her gun melting in the intense heat. "Hades?" She looked up and saw the third Hunter standing in his place.

The Hunter heard Claire's voice and turned toward her. Letting out a screech, it leapt for her. A gunshot rang through the air. The Hunter's head exploded into blood and slime and splattered all over the room. Its headless body fell into the flames and burned.

"Claire!"

Her eyes widened. _That voice._ She looked up. A man was standing over her; he had short, dark hair and was wearing a S.T.A.R.S. uniform. Tears formed in Claire's eyes. "Chris?"

"Hurry!" Chris held out his hand. "This whole place is going to come down on us any second!"

Claire took his hand. They quickly rushed out of the kitchen and to the front door. Ash and sparks fell all around them. She shielded her eyes with her uninjured arm. As soon as they were outside, the ceiling collapsed behind them.

She caught her breath. "Chris, you're here?"

"I was about to say the same thing." Chris noticed her arm. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small canister. "Take this. It's First-Aid spray. It should heal your wound."

Claire took the canister. "Thank you." She glanced around. "Wait, you didn't see anyone else in the house?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"There was someone else with me. Was he able to escape?" Claire stood up. "Hades?"

"That's my name, babe. Don't wear it out." Hades appeared in front of her.

Claire sighed before glaring at him. "Where were you!"

Hades held his hands up. "Hey, calm down, Little Red. I was about to come back and save you before…." He turned to point at Chris, but was met with Chris' magnum gun in his face.

"Claire, stay back!" Chris grazed his finger over the trigger. "I'll take care of this thing."

She rushed in between them. "No, Chris; it's okay. Hades is a friend. Well, sort of."

Chris furrowed his brow. "Claire, look at it. It's just another one of those Tyrants."

Hades' skin tinged orange. "Excuse me. This _thing_ has a name." He snatched the magnum away from Chris and melted it with his hand.

Chris gasped and backed away. He pulled out a knife. He swiped it at Hades, but the blade shattered the second it made contact with Hades' arm. Frowning, Hades easily flicked Chris onto the ground.

"What?" Chris' eyes widened, his body making a loud thud in the dirt. "What are you?

Hades' skin returned to its normal shade. He sneered down at Chris. "Sorry, babe, but I'm done giving explanations for today." He glanced at Claire. "Looks like you found what you're looking for, Little Red, so I'll be leaving."

Claire knelt beside her brother. "Wait, Hades. I thought you needed help."

"I'll do just fine on my own." Hades grinned. "I mean, come on, I'm a god. What do I have to be afraid of?"

….

Hades headed in the direction of the city. From where he was, he could see very tall buildings towering over the surrounding forest. He nodded to himself. Sure this place was a bit strange, but there was nothing to worry about. He just had to plan it out. So far Little Red told him where he was and, more specifically, _when_ he was. _Now, I'll a little exploring, and see if Persephone is here. I hope not. Either way, I'll then find a way out of this place._


	4. Everyone's Dead Here

Chapter Three:

-Everyone's Dead Here-

Persephone glared at Wesker. "Honestly, as observant as you are, I'm surprised you're this ignorant."

Vines shot out from the floor and wrapped around Wesker's body. They pulled him away from Persephone and hung him in the air. He tried to rip the vines off, but as he did, more vines sprouted from the damaged ones. They tangled around his arms and pinned him down.

She straightened herself. "I'm immortal… invincible. I have the T and G virus, and the divine power of the gods flowing through my veins. Do you really think you can take it away?" Her skin illuminated with a golden aura that flowed about her form. She narrowed her eyes, making them glow red.

Wesker remained silent and lurched forward, the vines snapping from his immense speed. He grabbed Persephone by the neck and slammed her against the window. The glass shattered from the impact. She kicked him and swiped at his face.

His grip loosened, and she fell out of the window. Persephone let out a scream. She twirled helplessly in the air, and when she looked down, she realized was ten stories above ground. Her head felt dizzy, and she had trouble catching her breath. Closing her eyes, she waited for impact. Instead, she felt a pair of strong arms catch her.

"Are you alright?"

It was a man's voice. Persephone was still too delirious from the fall to open her eyes. His scent caught her nose, and she felt her mind fade out. Turning her head, she nuzzled her face into the nape of the man's neck and dragged her tongue across his skin.

The man gasped and quickly dropped her on the ground. Persephone groaned, the fuzziness in her brain starting to clear. She heard a gun click and looked up. Her gaze was met with the man's shotgun aimed right at her.

Persephone's eyes widened. "Don't shoot."

The man paused. He stared at her briefly. "You're… alive?"

"Of course I am." She narrowed her eyes. "Would I be talking to you right now if I wasn't?"

The man glanced Persephone over before nodding to himself. He lowered his shotgun. "Sorry, Miss. I'm Leon Kennedy, and you are?"

Persephone bit her lip. Leon's brown hair hung over one side of his face. His skin was pale, but not sickly looking. She examined his clothes. He was wearing a police uniform. _Well, he's definitely mortal and not infected._ "I'm Persephone."

Leon held out his hand. "What happened? You fell from quite a height."

"I was running from someone." She took his hand and let him help her up. "Which reminds me. We should probably leave before he finds me."

He furrowed his brow. "Who?"

"Depends." Persephone put her hands on her hips. "Are you with Umbrella?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm an agent from the U.S. government."

She raised an eyebrow. "You look like a regular police officer to me."

Leon glanced down at his uniform, a strange, unreadable expression crossing his face. He folded his arms. "I'm working undercover."

_He sounds sincere. Maybe…._ She sighed. "Very well. Have you heard of a man named Wesker?"

"You mean Albert Wesker? What does he have to do with this?"

"Not sure." She ran a hand through her hair and glanced away. "I just ran into him, and he tried to kill me. Something about not wanting any witnesses."

Leon walked over to her. "Then maybe I can help."

Persephone shrugged. "Sure. I need to find a way to get out of this place. Where are we anyway?"

"The outskirts of Raccoon City." Leon glanced around. "And we'd better get a move before we attract any unwanted attention."

"Come. Let's head into the forest." Persephone gestured ahead.

"The Arklay Mountains?" He shook his head. "But it's not safe there."

"I'll take my chances." She ran toward the forest.

"Hey, wait!"

Persephone ignored him and continued on her way. She reached the end of the street and paused. A growling sound filled the air. Glancing around, she spotted a pack of dogs. They stepped out from the shadows and surrounded her; their skin was ripped and bloody.

She felt her heart swell up with fear and remained frozen in place. The dogs continued to growl and bare their fangs. "Nice doggies. You don't want to eat me." One of the dogs headed toward her. "Okay, maybe you do."

"Watch out!" Leon ran up behind her. The dog jumped in the air. He shot it in the head with a shotgun before it could reach Persephone.

The dog's head burst into nothing but blood, its mangled body dropping to the ground. The other dogs charged at Persephone and Leon.

"Let me handle this." He loaded his shotgun and took down the remaining dogs.

The last one let out a yelp before falling to the ground like the others. Catching his breath, Leon reloaded his gun and glanced back at Persephone.

"You need to be more careful." He walked over to her. "You almost got yourself killed."

_Should I have used my powers? But Leon's mortal. He might be suspicious of me if I do._ She folded her arms. "I don't need a lecture, but thanks anyway."

Leon sighed. "Look, it's my job to help people. But I can't do that if you're going to run off and make reckless decisions. We need to work together."

She stared at him before slowly nodding her head. "Fine."

The two of them walked together in silence. Persephone stole glances at Leon every now and then. _What's going on? Why did I end up back in this place? There has to be some explanation. And more importantly, how am I going to get back?_

Leon noticed she was staring at him again. "What?"

"Nothing." Persephone shook her head. "It's just strange. You said you weren't with Umbrella, yet you seem to be one of the few people left alive out here. What's your story?"

Leon paused before sighing. "Not much to it really. I was transferred to Raccoon City to join their police department, but when I arrived here, everything was in chaos. I managed to escape with some help, but I didn't really escape anything. Umbrella is everywhere. And they won't stop until someone is willing to take the company down. If not for anything but the sake of all those innocent people who lost their lives." He met Persephone's gaze. "And what about you?"

She shrugged. "Just another innocent citizen. I could tell you the details, but it's meaningless now." She looked away. "My whole family is gone."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be. I'll be fine; I've survived this long." Persephone looked ahead.

In the distance was a small cottage. From the outside, it looked normal. There were no broken windows or bloodstains coloring the walls. And she didn't see any zombies or monsters nearby.

Persephone pointed to the cottage. "Maybe we should search that place for supplies."

Leon checked his bag. "You're probably right. I'm low on ammunition."

Leon headed toward the cottage first. He slowly turned the knob and opened the door. He was met with silence. Inside the cottage was a large room. Most of it was shrouded in darkness except for the small corner next to the fireplace. Leon spotted a silhouette in the firelight. It was an elderly woman in a rocking chair. She started to softly hum, the sounds of the chair slowly creaking back and forth filling the room.

_"Rock a bye, baby, in the tree top…."_

_"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock…."_

_"When the bow breaks, the cradle will fall…."_

_"And down will go baby, cradle and all."_

_That voice._ Persephone rushed passed Leon and headed over to the woman before he could protest. "Mother?"

The woman turned her head. Her gaze met Persephone's, and a small smile crept its way onto the woman's face. "Kore, there you are. It's been so long since I've seen you."

Persephone stared at her. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

Leon walked up beside Persephone. "This woman is your mother?"

"Yes…." She frowned. "She's Demeter." She furrowed her brow. _But how did she get here?_

He blinked. "What?"

"Oh, Kore, dear. I'm just taking care of this infant I found. It's been a while since I've had a child to care for." Demeter revealed the bundle in her arms.

Looking down, Persephone gasped. "Panic?"

In Demeter's arms was an infant form of Panic. Most of his body was wrapped in a white blanket. His face was pudgier, and his horns weren't as long and sharp. Persephone frowned. Panic's mouth was smeared with blood. She drew her gaze to Demeter's arms; they were covered in tiny bite marks.

Persephone's eyes widened. "Mother, what happened to your arms?"

Demeter glanced down. "Oh, don't mind these. The poor thing's just teething."

"No, there's something wrong with that infant." Leon stepped forward. "Ma'am, I think it's infected."

Demeter recoiled from him. "Nonsense! He's perfectly healthy."

Leon held his hands up. "Ma'am, please. Just let me take a look."

"No, this child is mine!" Demeter glared at Leon. "I should've known better then to let some mortal into my home. You came here to steal the only thing I have left. And not only that, you tease me with the illusion of her." She narrowed her eyes at Persephone.

"Illusion?" Persephone pointed to herself. "Mother, it's me."

"Don't lie!" Demeter clutched Panic closer to herself. "My daughter disappeared ages ago. I searched for her everywhere. Everywhere!" She sobbed, tears filling her eyes. "But I couldn't find her. No matter how hard I tried. And I've had to live with that pain for years. But now…." Demeter looked down at Panic. "Now I have all I need. I'll never be alone again." She walked over to the fireplace and stuck Panic in the flames.

"Ma'am, don't!" Leon ripped Panic away from her.

Demeter snarled. "Give my baby back, you monster!" She reached out for Leon and grabbed him by the neck with both of her hands.

Persephone snatched Leon's shotgun from his holster. She shot Demeter in the forehead. Demeter slammed back into the wall behind her. She slowly slid down onto the floor, her wound smearing a trail of blood onto the wall.

Persephone looked at Leon. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Leon stared at Demeter's corpse. "But you just shot your own mother."

"I could care less. She was crazed." Persephone lowered her voice. "She was always crazy."

Leon shifted his gaze between her and the corpse. "How can you say that?"

_Demeter never had a problem shunning me when I was in need. I don't see why I should return the favor._ She looked at him, forcing tears into her eyes. "It's complicated, Leon, and I'd just get too worked up trying to explain."

He started at her for a moment before sighing and nodding. Turning, he spotted a box of shotgun shells on the table next to Demeter's rocker. He picked them up. "Trade you."

Persephone handed Leon his shotgun back, and he rested Panic in her arms.

Leon reloaded his gun. "What are we going to do about that thing?"

She thought for a minute. "I'll take care of him."

He frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She headed for the door. "Now let's get out of here before we have anymore surprises."

"I agree with you on that." He followed her.

Leon and Persephone headed back outside. However, the second they were out of the cottage, Panic began to squeal. He violently squirmed in Persephone's arms, and she had trouble holding on to him.

Leon raised his shotgun. "I told you. We need to destroy that thing."

"But…." Persephone gasped, feeling Panic drop from her arms onto the floor. His babyish form changed into a little piglet. "What?"

"Persephone, stand back!" Leon aimed his shotgun at Panic.

"No, don't!" Persephone reached down to pick Panic up, but he scurried away from her and into a deeper part of the forest. "Panic, wait!"

Leon ran after her. "Persephone, what are you doing?" He sighed. "Why doesn't anyone listen to me?"

Persephone ignored Leon. She continued to follow Panic through the forest. Reaching a river, she paused in her stride.

_The current of that river is very strong._ Persephone frowned. _I hope he stops._

Panic ran straight into the river. His pig form was too weak to swim against the current, and he fell under.

"Don't worry, I'll save you." Persephone rolled her eyes. "Even though you were a jerk to me."

Persephone dived into the river. _That's strange. This river didn't seem this big from the outside. _Once she was underneath the current, it looked like she was in an ocean. The tide carried her away, and there was no sign of Panic or Leon anywhere.

….

Hades walked through the streets of Raccoon City. He rolled his eyes. _Strange name for a City-State. Although, the future does look a bit different._

However, it was hard to judge considering that the City itself was in shambles. The tall buildings were completely dilapidated. Blood was smeared on everything from walls to broken windows to even laying in festering pools on the hard, black ground. Debris littered the streets and blocked some areas off. And there didn't seem to be any living mortals around at all. Instead, there were nothing but corpses scattered about, most of them too destroyed to reanimate. As for the ones that weren't, Hades could hear the moans of the dead echoing throughout city. It sounded no different than the souls he was used to ruling over.

_ 'Cept these appear to be of the zombified variety. Why would there be undead wandering around in the future anyway? Come to think of it... if this truly is the future, wouldn't there be a future version of myself and the other Olympians around here somewhere? _He frowned. _Still, that seems too unlikely. There's no way that Zeus or the other gods would let a mortal tragedy like this go on uncontrolled. And Little Red didn't even believe that I was real. Well, that scratches that theory.  
_

As Hades continued to walk, he noticed more zombies gathering around him._ It's hard to concentrate with them following me everywhere. Maybe I can find someplace to think and possibly come up with a clue or two. _He spotted an abandoned warehouse. He decided to head inside. Everything was dark, and there didn't seem to be anything undesirable lurking about.

Hades walked further into the warehouse. He paused, hearing a gun click behind him.

"Put your hands up where I can see them."

Turning around, he saw that it was a woman. She had short, black hair and was wearing a red mini dress. The woman stared at Hades before lowering her gun.

"Oh, wrong guy." The woman walked over to him, her heels clicking against the cement floor. "Interesting." She circled around him. "If I hadn't seen it for myself, I would've never believed it."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"My name is Ada Wong." Ada stepped away from Hades, her back facing him. She placed her gun in the holster that was tied around her left thigh. "She's waiting for you by the way. The one you're looking for."

_Is she talking about Persephone?_ Hades furrowed his brow. "How do I find her?"

She glanced at Hades from over her shoulder and grinned. "Don't know." She gestured to the right. "But you could always ask Dr. Birkin."

Hades looked in the direction Ada was pointing and spotted a sign. It read: _To the Birkins. Head down G Avenue toward the Police Station._

Ada chuckled. "Though I should warn you." She flicked her bangs out of her eyes. "Birkin has suffered a little _accident_ recently. He might not be very happy to see you."

Hades folded his arms. "Is there anyone else I could ask?"

"Well…." She pointed to the left. "There's Alford Ashford."

Past a large pile of crates was a doorway. Above it was a sign that read: _To the Ashfords. Turn right at Veronica Boulevard and take the ferry to Rockfort Island._

Ada rested her chin against her hand. "But he's been a little busy lately. You see his sister has just awakened from a… _coma_, and she's really been making a mess of the place."

Hades groaned and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Is there anyone I can ask that hasn't had any kind of _accident_?"

She put her right hand on her hip. "You do realize where you are, don't you?"

Several moaning sounds filled the air. Both Hades and Ada glanced around but saw nothing headed toward them. However, the noise grew louder. It felt near. Too close to not be seen, and yet….

Ada directed her gaze toward the ceiling. Crawling above were seven strange creatures. Their bodies were skinless, exposing the red muscle underneath. They clung to the ceiling with their large, sharp claws. One of them turned their head down toward Ada and Hades. It opened its mouth, revealing its fangs and a long tongue that curled out into the air.

"Speaking of which." Pulling her gun from her holster, she briefly glanced at Hades. "Can you fight?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I can."

"Good." Ada noticed that some of the creatures had leapt down from the ceiling and were crawling toward them on the floor. "I'll take out half of these Lickers. You take care of the other half."

One of the Lickers shot their tongue out at Hades. It wrapped around his arm, and the Licker tried to pull him to itself. His skin turned orange, the heat searing the Licker's tongue. He lifted it up in the air and tossed it into a nearby window. The Licker screeched, its body getting pierced by the sharp glass.

Two more Lickers jumped at Hades. He formed two fireballs in his hands and shot both Lickers down in mid-air. The Lickers skidded across the ground. The flames engulfed their bodies, turning them to ash.

_Geez, this place keeps getting weirder. Not even Echidna could've given birth to some of these creatures._ Hades heard something clawing at the metal grating he was standing on.

Another Licker climbed up the railing behind him. Something screeched, and he spotted a second Licker crawling over to him from the front. He switched his gaze between both Lickers. The Licker in front of him leapt forward, and he disappeared from sight. It only hit a puff of smoke and ended up slashing off the head of the other Licker. Hades reappeared in front of the last Licker and shot it down with another fireball.

Ada flipped over the railing to where he was. She stood next to him back to back, her gun raised and pointed at the shadows.

She briefly glanced back at him. "I got two. You?"

"Five." Hades kept his gaze on their surroundings.

"Got 'em all." Ada lowered her gun.

She walked away from Hades, but before she made it to the top of the stairs an eighth Licker jumped up in front of her. It was larger than the others, and its body was green instead of red. However, the most notable difference was its long, scythe-like claws. Ada quickly raised her gun and aimed it at the Licker's head. It leapt into the air, ready to behead her. She shot it in the chest.

The Licker fell backwards onto the floor. It squirmed, but managed to get itself back on its feet. It jumped at Ada again, but she shot it in the head. Parts of its exposed brain splattered through the air, and it slumped onto the floor, a pool of blood forming around its body.

"Well, that takes care of that." Ada blew the smoke away from her gun. "I don't know about you…." She stuck her gun back in her holster. "But if I were trying to find someone, I'd head for City Hall."

Hades looked at her. "Where is it?"

Ada pointed ahead. "Just head out that doorway, turn right until you reach Main Street, and it should be staring you in the face." She pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. She gave Hades another grin and casually waved. "Later, Handsome." She ran off in another direction.

"Hey, wait a minute." Hades sighed. _Well, I got the clue I wanted. _

He headed out of the door that Ada mentioned. He made his way down the street, avoiding any obstacle that tried to block his path. Finally, he came across a large, white building. Engraved at the top were the words: _Raccoon City Hall_.

There it is. Now, let's see if I can find something. However, the second Hades made a step toward the stairs, he heard the sound of several guns clicking behind him.

"Freeze!"

Turning around, Hades saw a group of soldiers dressed black were gathered around him. Masks covered their faces. On their uniforms read: _U.S.S_., and just above the letters were red and white octagon symbols. The uniforms were tight enough for him to distinguish the gender of the soldiers.

A female soldier stepped forward. "Don't make any sudden movements. You're coming with us. If you cooperate, we won't have to do this the hard way."

"Oh, this is gonna be good." Hades was about to attack, but someone pulled his hands behind his back and cuffed his arms.

He felt all of his power drain from his body. It happened in such a rush that he lost the strength in his legs and fell to his knees. His head felt dizzy, and his ears started to ring.

_What the in cosmos did they just do to me?_ Hades managed to turn his head and saw a male solider standing behind him.

"Good work, HUNK." The female soldier stared down at Hades. "Thought you were gonna put up a fight, did you? The U.S.S. are prepared for anything. Even gods." She smirked.

HUNK directed his attention to the female soldier and pulled out a knife. "LUPO, let's take a sample of his blood." His voice was distorted by the gas mask on his face.

LUPO held up her hand. "No. Our orders were to simply detain him and send him back to headquarters. If he's infected, they'll deal with it."

Hades felt his eyelids grow heavy. The last thing he heard was LUPO kneeling down and saying, "You belong to Umbrella now."

….

Groaning, Hades opened his eyes to a pure white room. The brightness of it stung, making him cringe. "Ugh, where am I?"

He tried to move but felt that his arms were still tied in chains, and the rest of his body felt weak. However, as he shifted into a sitting position, he noticed something else. Looking down, he saw that his clothes were missing. Instead, he had on a thin, white cloth that covered his lower body, and even then, the material only reached down to his mid-thighs.

He frowned. _What the…. _Glancing around, he realized he was in a white jail cell. The walls to the side and back of him were solid, and in front was a tightly packed row of vertical bars. They looked easy enough to blast through, but with the chains on him…. _Where did a bunch of mortals get these from? I can't use my powers. And it sounded like they already knew what I am. But how; no one else seem to be able to, except for that Ada woman. Oi, how did I not see there was something suspicious about her?  
_

"So, you're awake?"

Hades turned his head in the direction of the voice. Sitting across the hall in another cell was a boy, who seemed to be around Claire's age. He was dressed the same way Hades was except he wasn't being tied down with chains. He couldn't completely see the boy's face, for his brown was covering most of it.

Hades closed his eyes. "What's it to you, kid?"

"Just wondering how long I have to live." The boy turned, revealing more of his face. "You don't sound or act like those monsters, but you look like one of them."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Not this again. Look, babe, I'm not one of those monsters, okay. Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead."

The boy stared at him before shrugging and looking away. "Steve Burnside. I came here looking for a girl. We met on Rockford Island, but we got separated from each other. Then the Umbrella soldiers found me and locked me up in here."

"Really? And who was this girl?" Hades bit his lip. _Maybe it was Persephone._

"Claire Redfield." Steve met his gaze. "Know her?"

Hades frowned. "Oh, you mean Little Red. We bumped into each other a while back."

Steve's eyes widened. "Where is she? Is Claire alright?"

"Yeah. She ended up finding her brother." Hades sighed. "But enough chitchat. Do you know where we are?"

"The Hive." Steve rested his arms over his knees. "From the blueprints I saw, we're a least a mile underground, right below Raccoon City. This place is at least ten floors, and we're stuck at the bottom."

"And how do I get out of here?"

"It's impossible to escape." Steve scoffed. "Believe me, I've tried. One path is to take the third floor tram directly outside of the city, but the area is constantly monitored by cameras and guards."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "And the other path?"

Steve sighed. "Well, there's a secret passageway that leads from the Hive to the sewers and through there you can get out at the police station above ground. But…."

"But what?"

Steve bit his lip. "You have to get past the Queen's Chamber on the top floor."


	5. Who Are You, My Queen?

Chapter Four:

-Who are you, My Queen?-

Groaning, Persephone furrowed her brow. She could feel solid ground underneath her. Every now and then a wave would wash up along her body. Slowly opening her eyes, she frowned.

_Now where am I?_ Sitting up, she glanced around.

To her right was a large forest, and to her left was a huge ocean that stretched out into the horizon. The sky was dark and scattered with stars.

"Panic?" Her gaze shifted across the forest floor, but she didn't see any sign of the imp. "Leon? Great, he's missing too." She stood up. "Might as well keep exploring."

Persephone headed into the forest. The trees stood tall and were reaching up toward the sky. The bushes and shrubs looked bigger than her body. Even the blades of grass were taller than her.

_Wait, did I just shrink?_ She stopped walking. Looking up, she spotted puffs of smoke floating out in the air. _They seem to be coming from a land-based source. If I follow the trail, it might lead me to some civilization._

Persephone followed the smoke until she came across a clearing. It was filled with large mushrooms. Putting a hand to her forehead and squinting her eyes, she could she the smoke coming from the largest mushroom on the other side of the clearing.

_There's someone there._ She bit her lip. _Still, are they friendly or…? She shook her head. Relax, you have your goddess powers. There's nothing to worry about._

She made her way over to the mushroom. Glancing around, she didn't see any signs of zombies or other creatures. When Persephone got close to the mushroom, she was able to see the figure on top of it.

Her eyes widened. _What?_

….

Hades sat in his cell in silence. _Well, I managed to pry some information out of the boy. But first things first. I have to find a way to get these chains off of me. And then which path should I take? The tram seems the easiest since there's nothing but mortal guards blocking the place._

The echo of footsteps filled the area. Hades looked up to see members of the U.S.S. on the other side. One of the soldiers brought out a set of keys and unlocked the door.

"The superior wishes to see you." The soldier nodded to his comrades.

Two of them entered Hades' cell and lifted him from the floor.

"Hey, watch it." Steve struggled against the soldier holding him until he felt the edge of a gun against the side of his head.

"I'd keep still if I were you." The soldier holding Steve spoke in a grainy, female voice. "Unless you have a death wish."

Steve stopped resisting and let the female soldier escort him out of his cell.

Hades eyed the soldiers while he let himself get led out as well. _Lousy mortals. If it weren't for these cuffs, I could kill them off._ He sighed. _I guess this situation can't get any worse._

Steve and Hades were placed side by side with two soldiers in front of them and two behind them. The head soldier stood before the formation and led them down the hall. Hades memorized the path they took. Turning his head, he noticed that this floor was not only a holding cell for prisoners but other creatures too. He saw groups of hunters and lickers being held behind glass cells inside of metal containers.

A loud thump sounded off to Hades' right, and he heard Steve squeal. Looking past him, Hades saw that a zombie had jumped at them from behind another glass cell. However, this one looked a bit different. It's fingernails were more like long claws, and it's eyes seemed more possessed. It was so aggressive that it nearly pulled the chains wrapped around its neck out of the wall behind it.

Steve shivered. "Ugh, I don't like crimson heads."

The soldiers, however, weren't phased by it and continued to lead them out of the dungeons and into a big laboratory. The hallways were completely white from the floor to the ceiling. There were various rooms with large windows, allowing Hades to see inside. Each room had a group of scientists experimenting with different colored chemicals.

Reaching the end of the hall, the soldiers brought Hades and Steve into an elevator. Once inside, the head soldier pressed the button to the top floor. The elevator went up and stopped.

The electronic voice of a woman spoke through the intercom. _"Level One: Queen's Chamber."_

Hades frowned. _They're taking us there already? But why? And who is this Queen anyway, or is that just some kind of fancy name? If it is a person, maybe there's a chance for me to talk myself out of this mess._

This hallway was white as well, but it had no other rooms. Instead, it stretched on and ended at a large, black door on the opposite side. Engraved into it was the same red and white hexagon symbol that the soldiers had on their uniforms. Underneath the symbol read the name: _Umbrella Corp. _The group walked down the hallway. The head soldier entered a code into the door and opened it.

_'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves_

_Did gyre and gimble in the wabe…._

Steve glanced around. "Wow, what a voice. You guys having a party in here?" He received a nudge in his rib cage from one of the soldiers' guns.

Hades looked up. _That voice does sound familiar. Who's singing?_

_All mimsy were the borogoves,_

_And the mome raths outgrabe._

Hades and Steve were led to a large office. Sitting at the base of the wall on the opposite side from them was a black desk. A large black chair sat behind it, but it was faced away from the group. It slowly rocked back and forth, the singing growing louder.

_Beware the Jabberwock, my son!_

_The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!_

All Hades could see was a pair of long, golden legs sitting in the chair. The legs crossed, slowly sliding against each other as they did.

_Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun_

_The frumious Bandersnatch!'_

The chair turned around.

Hades' eyes widened. "Persephone?"

Persephone briefly made eye contact with Hades before focusing her attention on the soldiers. "Are these the prisoners?"

The head soldier stepped forward. "Yes, your Grace. What do you want us to do with them?"

Persephone stood from her chair, allowing Hades to completely see her. She was wearing a long, white dress that clung to her curves and billowed at her feet. Her hair was pulled back into a bun with two, large white lilies placed behind both of her ears

"Well, for starters, you can let them out of these dreadful cuffs." Persephone examined Steve. "They're hardly necessary."

The head soldier let out a small gasp. "But, your Grace. These two are hardcore criminals against Umbrella. It wouldn't be safe."

Persephone narrowed her eyes. "That's strange." She folded her arms. "I could have sworn I heard you questioning my authority. Surely I must be mistaken?" She slowly walked over to the head soldier and brought her face close to his. "After all, you know what happens when someone undermines my authority, don't you, Nicholai?" She brought her lips to his ear. "And remember who let you keep your position even after hearing about your most recent actions in the city."

Nicholai lowered his head. "Yes, your Grace. Forgive me."

"Good." Persephone looked at the other soldiers. "Now what are you standing around for? Unchain our guests then get out of my sight."

The soldiers did as they were ordered and quickly left the room, locking the doors behind them.

Feeling his powers return to him, Hades quickly snapped his fingers, and his normal clothing reappeared on his body.

Steve stared at him, his jaw dropping while he rubbed his wrists. "Hey, no fair."

Persephone smiled. "Don't worry. I can provide you with some new clothing." With a wave of her hand, a pair of cargo pants and yellow shirt appeared on him.

"Thanks." Steve glanced her figure over before grinning. "So what's your name, Beautiful?"

She merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I only answer to _your Grace._ Anything less would be more than disrespectful." She made eye contact with Hades. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course, babe." Hades chuckled.

Persephone narrowed her eyes.

Hades coughed. "I mean, your Grace." He smiled at her, and she briefly nodded. _That's strange. She doesn't recognize me. Unless she's just pretending. I'll have to get her alone first, and then ask what's going on._

Persephone circled around Steve. She placed a hand on his cheek and frowned. "You two look absolutely sickly. But with all of the chaos going on lately, it's no surprise." She smiled. "Come, I invite you both to my private quarters for some food and drink. Sound good?"

Steve placed a hand over his stomach. "Now that you mention it, your Grace, I am kind of hungry."

Persephone looked at Hades. "And you?"

"It'd be an honor, your Grace." Hades stole a glare at Steve. _Now if only I could figure out a way to get rid of the third wheel._

She walked over to her desk and pressed on a button. A door opened in the wall behind her. "Shall we then?"

Steve and Hades glanced at each other before following Persephone through the door. They headed up a flight of stairs and through a second door made of glass. Persephone locked the door once Hades and Steve stepped through. She gestured to the room in front of them.

"Welcome." Persephone smiled. "Make yourself at home."

The room was decorated with black furniture. The carpet was black as well, but the ceiling was white. The wall to the right of them had a large fireplace. It was burning brightly, warming the room and giving it an orange glow.

"Alright." Steve sat in one of the chairs in the center of the room.

Walking behind Hades, Persephone placed her hands on his arms and guided him to one of the chairs. "Here have a seat."

Hades let Persephone lead him to the chair across from Steve's. He sat down. Persephone stepped into the small kitchen and pulled a large tray of food from the counter. She rested the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the chairs.

"Here you are. Stuffed mushrooms and—" A bottle and three glasses appeared in her hand. "Champagne." She rested them down as well, and waving her hand again, the three glasses instantly filled up. She sat down in the third chair. Crossing her legs, she pulled out a cigarette. She reached for her lighter.

"Let me, your Grace." Hades flicked his thumb, igniting the tip of it.

"Oh, thank you." Persephone put the cigarette to her lips and lit it. She inhaled and exhaled a small stream of smoke. Leaning back, she shifted her gaze between Hades and Steve. "So what are your stories? You both must have stirred up some real trouble for Umbrella to target you."

Steve swallowed the last bite of the mushroom he had already taken. "You mean you didn't order us to be captured?"

"Of course not." Persephone took another drag from her cigarette. "I've got bigger problems to worry about." She chuckled. "But I can't deny that your presence here hasn't intrigued me. Especially you, Steve. You're in cohorts with the Redfields, aren't you?"

Steve blinked. "How…?"

"I do my research. Besides, Chris Redfield is one of the remaining S.T.A.R.S. members. He's Umbrella's most wanted." She picked up her glass and took a sip from it. "So… Steve, what's a poor kid like you doing getting mixed up in all of this mess?"

He looked away. "It's not important."

"Really?" Persephone stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table. "If memory serves me correctly, weren't you a recent prisoner of Rockfort Island because of your father?"

Steve frowned and quickly stood up, almost knocking over the tray. "Look, I don't care how nice you're being, but I'm not going to be tricked into being your informant. You and Umbrella can go rot in hell for all I care!"

Persephone's eyes widened slightly. She hid her glare and forced a smile. "Steve, please forgive me. I wasn't trying to pry. However, if this conversation is making you uncomfortable, let's change the subject." She stood up and took Steve by the hand. "Come, sit with me by the fireplace."

Hades sighed while he watched Persephone sit beside Steve on the large couch in front of the fireplace. He rubbed his temples. _I swear this whole situation is going to leave me with a bad enough migraine to last a century. Why is Persephone acting like this?_

Persephone placed a finger underneath Steve's chin and tilted his head toward her. "Now, isn't this cozy? Yet, you still look a little pale." She grinned. "Let's see if we can't get some more color into those cheeks."

She reached for a remote on the arm of the couch. Aiming the remote at the ceiling, she pressed one of the buttons, and slow music started to play. Persephone stood up. She glanced at Hades and winked. Returning her attention to Steve, she began to sway her hips in time with the beat. Bringing her hands to the back of her head, she undid her bun and let her hair fall to her waist.

Steve looked her up and down. He half smiled and furrowed his brow. "Um, what are you do…?"

Persephone put her finger to Steve's lips. "Hush." Smiling, she brought her face close to his. "Just relax…." Staring past Steve, she met Hades' gaze. "And watch me."

Pulling back, Persephone swayed her hips again. She twirled around and stopped with her back facing him. She brushed her hair over her shoulder before raising her hands to the straps of her dress. Slowly, she tugged her dress down.

Hades' eyes widened, his mind completely forgetting the situation he was in. All he could focus on was the smooth skin of her shoulders leading down to the strap of her bra. His eyes drew lower to her narrow waist and the arch of her back. Persephone let the dress fall to her feet. She was wearing a white-laced thong, giving Hades and Steve an eyeful of her round, plump cheeks and her toned, long legs. Placing her hands on the edge of the fireplace, she arched her back and jiggled her butt.

_What a babe, what a body._ Hades bit his lip, a smirk plastered onto his face. Persephone turned around. He saw her bat her eyelashes and blow a kiss at Steve. Hades narrowed his eyes. _But why is she giving that mortal whelp all the attention?_

Persephone twirled around again. Grinning, she hooked a finger around the front clasp of her bra. With a slight tug, the clasp came undone. Her large breasts bounced free. She took the bra off completely and tossed it to the floor.

"You know, Steve, it isn't often that I cross paths with a handsome man such as yourself." She walked over to him.

Hades deepened his gaze into a glare, his flames flaring across his shoulders.

Steve kept his eyes on Persephone's breasts, his face slightly red. "You… you don't, your Grace?"

Persephone straddled Steve's hips. "No. Which is why I believe we should take advantage of this moment." Entangling her right hand in his hair, she pushed his face into her cleavage. "It gets so lonely being cooped up in this office by myself." She brought Steve's face up to meet hers. "Would you like to play with me tonight?"

Hades saw a faint grin formed on Persephone's face. Her eyes briefly glanced at him again, probably noticing that there was another source of flames other than the fireplace. Hades gripped his fists together, his skin tingeing orange.

Steve gulped. "Well… actually… there's someone else."

She raised an eyebrow. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Um… yes… no." He shook his head. "I mean—I haven't said anything."

"Then you're unattached." Persephone took Steve's hands and placed them on her breasts. "We're in the middle of an apocalypse, Burnside. Who knows if any of us will live to see tomorrow? So stop worrying and take advantage of what's in front of you."

Hades gasped when he saw Persephone kiss Steve.

She drew back and licked her lips. "Mmm. Delicious. Whoever this girl is, she was a bitch for not noticing you on the spot. Now forget about her."

She pressed her lips to Steve's again. Biting his bottom lip, Persephone slid her tongue into his mouth while her hands roamed his body. Steve groaned a little, a frown on his face. However, he started to moan and gave into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around Persephone. His hands slid down her back and cupped her both of her cheeks. She let out a sigh when he squeezed them. Smiling, she slipped her hands underneath Steve's shirt and stroked his stomach. Persephone broke the kiss and started kissing and sucking at his jaw line.

_How dare she? Who does Persephone think she is!_ Hades' skin was completely red, and his flames were nearly engulfing his entire body. If he stayed that way any longer, he'd blow up the entire room. _Here I was trying to find her, and she'd rather shmooze with some other guy._

Steve let out a moan. "Oh, your Grace!" Persephone whispered in his ear. He frowned at the question, but was distracted by her hand slipping below his belt. "I… I don't know."

She nibbled on his earlobe. "Are you sure? I don't believe you're telling me everything. Think _harder_."

Steve moaned again, his voice almost screeching up to the ceiling. Catching his breath, he whispered, "I don't know where Chris Redfield is."

Sighing, Persephone kissed Steve's cheek. "Very well, my pet."

_I can't take it anymore! _Hades was about to let himself super nova, but an agonizing scream filled the air. He paused and stared ahead.

Persephone's face was buried in Steve's neck. His head was thrown back, letting Hades see his expression. Steve's eyes were wide open, tears spilling from them. He struggled against Persephone, but she had his arms pinned down. Steve let out an ear-piercing shriek before his head fell from the couch and rolled onto the floor.

Blood sprayed all across the room. Persephone sat up, her eyes closed. Pieces of Steve's neck were hanging from her mouth, and she slurped it up like spaghetti. His blood was smeared all over her body and continued to splatter onto her from his headless wound. She dug her hand into his left shoulder and ripped his arm off.

Tilting her head back, Persephone shoved the arm into her mouth. She devoured every inch, the skin peeling off. She licked her fingertips, a smirk on her face. Opening her eyes, she met Hades' gaze. They glowed bright red, and a low hiss escaped her lips.

Hades stared at her, his flames extinguishing. _That's not Persephone._ He quickly stood up. "Well, your Grace, it was nice seeing you. But it looks like you're busy, so I should get going. Got other affairs to attend to. Deals to make. I'm sure you understand." He rushed for the door.

But she appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "Going somewhere?"

….

"Hades?" Persephone stepped forward toward the large mushroom. "What are you doing here?"

Sitting on top of it was Hades. He was reclining against a set a pillows and smoking from a hookah pipe.

He glanced at her. "Who are you?"

She blinked. "Well, to be honest." Resting her arms against the edge of the mushroom, she sighed. "I don't really know anymore."

Hades narrowed his eyes. "Strange, because you look like Persephone to me."

"Oh, I wish that's who I was." Persephone frowned. "But now she's the one thing I don't to be."

"And why is that, Angel-face?" Hades took a drag from the pipe and blew out a puff of smoke.

Blushing, she looked away from him. "It's hard to explain."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, I feel like there's two different Persephones." She smiled. "One is the one I want to be. Kind, human, with a life full of adventure and…." Her blush deepened. "Love." She shuddered. "The other terrifies me. She's a monster destined to destroy and be cut off from the world for the rest of eternity."

He met her gaze. "So which are you?"

Persephone shook her head. "That's just it. I don't know."

He closed his eyes. "Why?"

"Because I think…." She bit her lip. "Both of her are me."

Hades grinned. "Well, Angel-face, perhaps I can be a better judge." Turning his right arm into a tendril of smoke, he lifted Persephone onto the mushroom.

She stared at him and her eyes widened slightly. He was topless, exposing every inch of his muscular torso to her gaze. She glanced down noticing his usual black chiton was tied loosely around his hips. If it slipped any lower, she'd see….

Turning away, Persephone hid her red face. "No really, you don't have to."

"Don't be so shy, Angel-face. I'm not gonna hurt ya." Hades crawled over to her. Brushing a strand of hair from her face, he placed a finger under her chin. He tilted her head from side to side. " And you don't _look_ like a monster." He placed a hand on her face. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You _look_ just as gentle and… human as you want to be. Though I don't know why you picked human. You're a goddess, babe. And an absolutely gorgeous one at that."

She blushed again. "That's sweet of you, but…."

Hades put a finger to her lips. "Ah, Ah, I wasn't finished yet." He raised his right hand and entangled his fingers in her hair.

Persephone let out a sigh while Hades massaged her. Grinning, he slid his hand down to her neck. She closed her eyes and titled her head up. Hades brought his left hand to the other side and started moving his fingers in small, slow circles.

He whispered in her ear, "You don't _feel_ like a monster either."

Hades' hands moved down to her shoulders. He managed to slip the straps of her dress down to her upper arms with out her noticing. Her cleavage bounced forward a little, but her breasts remained confined to her top. He moved his hands down her arm, making her moan. Cupping his hands over her breasts, he squeezed them.

"You _feel_ rather full and luscious. I can't see why anyone would let you or these perfect assets of yours be cut off from the world for eternity."

Persephone's eyes snapped open. She quickly swatted his hands way. Scooting back, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Hades rubbed his wrist. "Giving you my opinion."

"And where did that include groping me, you creep?" Persephone readjusted the straps on her dress. _That's strange. Sure, Hades likes to flirt a lot, but he's never gone that far._

He shrugged. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm attracted to you."

_And he's never been that bold either._ She narrowed her eyes. "Keep it up, and I won't be able to help myself." Hints of red spread along the edges of her eyes.

Not noticing, Hades picked up the hookah pipe. "Now come on, Angel-face, calm down. I was just teasing." He brought the pipe to his lips and inhaled. "As I was saying, you don't look or feel like a monster to me. So the answer is simple. You are the Persephone you want to be, and the one that I'm in love with."

He blew out of stream of smoke. It circled around Persephone and formed the shape of a heart in front of her face.

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

Hades smiled. "It's true, babe."

She folded her arms. "But what about Minthe?"

Sighing, he leaned back on his arms. "I was just with her to make you jealous."

She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, like I'm going to believe that."

"What can I say?" He met her gaze. "I've always had a way with words. And I've been able to manipulate just about anyone. But then again, most of them are either the other gods that I despise, a bunch of mortals I could care less about, or my minions. This is new territory for me, babe. I'm not exactly sure how to express my emotions to someone I actually love."

_Now that sounds like him._ Persephone felt herself smile, but it quickly turned into a frown. "So you do have feelings for me. That's what I was afraid of."

"What do you mean?"

"The fact is…." She twiddled her fingers. "I like you too."

Hades stared at her. "You do?" He chuckled. "I mean, that's great." He motioned her forward with his finger. "Um, how about you come over here, and we can have our own little celebration."

She held up her hand. "Wait, there's something you need to understand. Even though I like you, I shouldn't." She drew her gaze toward the ground. "Because your assessment of me was wrong. Everything you said was based on my outward appearance. But the monster lurks inside of me." She looked at her hands and flexed them. "Even now, I can feel her flowing through my veins." Her eyes watered. "We can't be together, otherwise, I might kill you."

Hades blinked before he started laughing. "Kill? Uh, hello, Angel-face, you're talking to god here." He grinned. "Being immune to death is one of my amazing qualities."

"Maybe in your world." A tear rolled down her face. "But I'm not so sure about this. I'm a goddess, and yet the virus still remains. It drives me to kill every living being I come across. As much as I have tried to resist, I can't. You're not safe around me." She cried. "And I don't want to lose you."

Sitting up, he placed his hand under her chin. "Angel-face, don't cry. And don't get yourself worked up over nothing. This virus thing can be easily fixed."

She furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

Hades gestured to the mushroom they were sitting on. "You're looking at an endless supply of ambrosia. Just eat enough until your full, and this virus of yours will go away. Poof. Done. Boom."

"Are you sure?" Persephone frowned. "That sounds too simple."

"Hey, I've been around for a few millennia. I know what I'm talking about." He smiled and pressed his forehead against hers. "Then after you're cured, I'll make you mine."

_Well, if it'll free me from Umbrella and Wesker, it couldn't hurt to try it._ Persephone dug her fingers into the mushroom and ripped out a fairly large piece. She chewed off a small bite and swallowed. A woozy feeling washed over her._ The sensation of the virus is weakening. Then this stuff actually does work. _

She quickly ate at the rest of the piece, feeling the T and G virus fade from her system. Placing a hand over her stomach, she groaned but reached for another piece of the mushroom anyway.

Hades wiped a crumb from her mouth. "Ah, ah, I said until your full." He watched her facial expression. "How do you feel?"

"Better…." She smiled. "It's like the virus is completely gone."

"Perfect." Bringing Persephone onto his lap, he smirked. "Now, let's see, where were we? Oh right, we admitted our love for each other, and then we were going to consummate our union."

Persephone gasped when Hades kissed her. _Is this real? It almost feels too good to be true. But maybe I should stop questioning things and go with it. I just want to be happy for once._

….

Hades took a few stepped back, but Persephone just followed him.

"Where's the rush?" She placed a hand on his chest and started to guide him toward the chairs. "We were just starting to have some fun."

He narrowed his eyes. "Look, I don't know what you are, but I have no interest in your idea of fun."

She giggled. "Hades, it's me, Persephone. I thought you were smarter than this."

Hades glanced back at Steve's corpse, which was still dripping blood onto the floor. "You don't seem like the Persephone I know."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that what you know isn't only what I've allowed? After all, everyone has their secrets."

He frowned. "And what are you hiding exactly?"

"Let me explain." Persephone walked over to the fireplace. She picked up her dress from the floor and slipped it on. The blood on her body seeped through the white fabric, dying it red. Walking over to Steve's head, she picked it up and made her way over to another part of the room. "Follow me. And don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

Hades folded his arms. "I find that hard to believe."

"Hey, it's not my problem that you decided not to try and blend in." She pressed a button and revealed a large, flat-screen television. "You should consider yourself lucky that I was able to find you before things got worse."

He blinked. "Wait. You _were _the one behind my capture?"

She nodded. "Yes. I sent Ada to lure you into a trap. Did you actually believe the mortals would've known how to zap the power of a god on their own?" She chuckled. "It was the only way for us to be reunited without raising any suspicions."

Pressing another button, the wall beneath the T.V. flipped around, revealing shelves of severed heads. Hades stared at them. They were each encased in a glass container. At the base of the glass was a plaque that had the victim's name engraved in it. Hades examined a few of the names. One had the head of a young, blonde girl. The plaque read: _K-Mart_. The next had the head of a middle-aged black man. His plaque said: _L.J_. The one next to his was another woman. She had black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Her name read: _Rain Ocampo_.

Hades furrowed his brow. _Geez Louise, how many people did Persephone kill?_

"As for the boy, he's a completely different matter." Persephone placed Steve's head in a glass container. She sat it at the end of the row on the top shelf next to a woman with short, dark blonde hair. Her plaque read: _Alice_. "I was hired to hunt down the Redfields. Chris specifically, but Umbrella wouldn't mind getting his sister as well." She carved Steve's name into a piece of metal with a knife and placed it into the base of his container. Turning around, she grinned at Hades. "There was no reason for you to be jealous."

His eyes widened slightly, and he shook his head. "Jealous. Me? Don't be ridiculous."

"There's no need to hide it, Hades. I saw you watching us." Persephone sat down in one of the chairs. "And there's no need to worry. I only have eyes for you." She smiled. "Which is why I'm glad all of this happened. I can finally tell you the truth."

"The truth?" Hades sat down in the chair in front of her.

She nodded. "Yes. You see, I'm originally from this time. I was an experiment. Umbrella is the company that owns this world, and they have developed a sort of underground business of building bio-weapons with the viruses they create. I'm sure you ran into more than a few of them out in the city."

Hades folded his arms. "So what are these viruses?"

"There are several." She sighed. "But I'll focus on the main two. The T-Virus, also known as, the Tyrant virus, is what created all of those zombies outside. It kills a living being and reduces it to a mindless, flesh-eating leech." She clasped her fingers together. "As for the G-virus. It was supposed to be superior to T, but our research has proven that to be false. It causes the victim to constantly mutate. Unfortunately, the victim devolves each time." She chuckled. "And I was infected with both."

He gasped. "What?"

"Even though I retained most of my humanity, I was considered unstable. That was until I fell through a time machine and wound up in Ancient Greece. I landed on Demeter's island where she decided to make me her daughter and thus, a goddess. The ambrosia she gave me managed to stabilize the viruses in my system allowing me to become the most formidable tyrant to date." She glanced away. "Well… the second most." She picked up a photo from the table and showed it to Hades. "This is my creator. Albert Wesker. The definition of a cold fish if there ever was one."

Hades examined the picture before looking back at Persephone. "How come you never told me any of this?"

"I wasn't sure if you'd believe me or even want me around." Persephone grinned. "I am after all, dangerous." She moved from the chair and sat on the table. "But that's all in the past. You're here now."

He nodded. "Well, yeah, but don't you think we should find a way back home?"

Persephone tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean? We are home." She smiled. "Look, I have a proposal for you. Wesker wants me to retrieve the Redfields to settle a score, but I have better plans in mind. I want to capture Chris and use him to get rid of Wesker once and for all. And when I do, I want you to be my new king."

Hades furrowed his brow. "King of what?"

"Of Umbrella." She took his hands in hers. "There's only one original founder of this company still alive. Oswell E. Spencer. But we can get rid of him easily. Then you and I can take control and rule this world for ourselves. Think about it. All the power and resources at your disposal. And Zeus and the other gods are long gone. They lost their powers centuries ago when the mortals stopped worshiping them. But you're ruler of the dead. The two of us together will be invincible."

_When she puts it like that, how can I refuse?_ He met her gaze. "Angel-face, I'd love nothing more than to be with you. And I mean this whole future thing was unexpected, but it sounds like a great gig." He shrugged. "Count me in."

She smiled. "You mean it?"

"Yes." Hades grinned. "I was planning on asking you to be my queen anyway." He wrapped his arms around Persephone's waist. "So what's first on our little plan to conquer the world, my sweet?"


	6. Off With Your Head

Chapter Five:

-Off With Your Head-

Persephone smiled. "We'll get to that in due time." She stood and walked over to the small kitchen.

She pulled out a suitcase and returned to Hades. Undoing the locks, she opened the suitcase. Inside were several vials of liquid; half of them were green while the other half was purple. She took out a vial of each liquid and placed them in a syringe-gun.

Hades raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"The T and G virus of course." Persephone met his gaze. "If you're going to be my King, I need to make sure you're worthy."

"And why wouldn't I already be worthy?"

Furrowing her brow, she shook her head. "No reason to be offended, Hades. I'm sure your body won't reject the viruses at all. This is simply an immunity test."

"Uh, Angel-face, hello." He pointed to himself. "I'm a god. I'm already invincible and immune to everything."

She raised her eyebrow. "Really?" Setting down the syringe-gun on the coffee table, she stood in front of Hades. She gently took one of his hands in hers and slid it into her cleavage.

Hades' eyes slightly widened. Persephone's skin was sticky from the dried blood, but he could still feel how supple her breasts were. Grinning, he grazed his fingers across them, but paused, feeling a sudden sting in his hand.

_Huh? What was that?_ Hades jerked his hand back. Examining it, he saw a line of blood trickle down the side of his thumb. And the blood was plain and red, the kind the mortals had. _This can't be mine._ He should have bled ichor, which was gold in color and completely mystical in appearance. He shifted his gaze from his hand to her chest. The blood on her skin had already turned dark from drying, and the wound on his hand looked fresh.

"You don't seem invincible to me." Persephone giggled. "Look at how easily I cut your hand with my little nail." She teasingly dangled her index finger in front of him.

_How did she?_ He stared at his hand. _Just a scratch, really?_ There was no way he could be injured by something so simple. Usually it would take one of Zeus' lightning bolts or Poseidon's trident to even bruise him; with the exception of that time when he hit on Aphrodite and Hephaestus beat him up with his hammer. _Something's not right about this._

"Now this'll hurt a bit, and you may feel itchy for a couple of days, but trust me, you'll start to like it." She held up the syringe-gun.

"Hold it, babe, I'm suddenly losing interest in this offer of yours."

"What do you mean?"

"Why?" Hades gestured to the syringe-gun. "You want to inject me with that virus of yours, even after you told me what it does."

Persephone blinked before rolling her head back in laughter. She caught her breath and looked at Hades. "Don't be ridiculous. That's what happens to the lesser beings that get infected. But you aren't weak; that's why I'm choosing you. You'll be just like me with the powers of both the virus and the divine flowing inside of you." She sat in his lap. "Hades?" Raising her hand, she rested it on his chin. "Don't you love me?"

He nodded. "Well, yeah of course, but…."

Persephone turned his face toward hers. Straddling him, she slowly ground her hips against his back and forth and moaned in his ear. "Don't you ache for me?"

Hades groaned. He lowered his head to her neck and lightly nuzzled his teeth over her skin. "You have no idea."

Chuckling, she lifted his head back to hers and moved herself so close their lips were almost touching. She whispered in a low, sexy tone, "Don't you want to be with me forever?"

He met her gaze._ I always did love her eyes._ He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yes, my sweet."

Persephone kissed Hades' nose and started nuzzling his cheek. "Then close your eyes and let me grant your wish."

He did as she asked. Smirking, she picked up the syringe-gun; she pointed it at the back of Hades' neck.

_All of this feels too good to be true._ Hades leaned forward to kiss her. _I…._ Something sharp grazed his skin. Eyes snapping open, he quickly grabbed Persephone's arm and yanked it away from himself. He saw the syringe-gun in her grip._ What is wrong with me? I'm falling for the same trick that mortal kid did._ He shoved Persephone off of him.

She landed back on the coffee table, her body colliding with the suitcase. The vials shattered under the force of her weight, and the liquid of the viruses started to spill on the floor.

Persephone saw the broken vials and gasped. She glared at Hades. "You idiot, do you realize what you've done!"

"If you mean seeing through your little smoke screen, then yes." Hades stood. "Sorry, babe, but the deal's off. The Persephone I know may have a dark side, but even this is pushing it. So why don't you run along, take your viruses, and find someone else to add to your collection of heads. I've got better things to do."

She heaved heavily, her chest moving up and down. Scowling, her eyes glowed red. "You ungrateful whelp! I was trying to make this easy for you, to make this mutual, but you forget…." She stood up on the coffee table, the canines of her teeth sharpening into fangs. "I am Queen; everything in this world belongs to me. Even you."

Snapping her fingers, a table appeared behind Hades. Magical chains sprung from it and wrapped themselves around him. Hades tried to burn them off, but the second they touched him he felt his powers drain.

_Not this again._ The chains pulled onto the table, and the more he struggled, the more they tightened around him. He glared at Persephone, his flames still maintaining enough energy to turn orange. "Let go of me, you—!" One of the chains wrapped around his mouth.

Persephone wagged her finger. "Tsk, tsk, I wouldn't say anything you'd regret, Hades." She walked over to the table and climbed on top, straddling him again. "You can fight this, but it won't do you any good. For all ways are my ways." She lifted his right arm and gently cradled his arm against her face. "And please understand that I never wanted it to be like this, but since you refuse to cooperate…" Her eyes turned red. "I'm just going to take what's _mine_."

Lowering her head, she sunk her teeth into his arm. Hades' muffled screams filled the room while he tried to pull away from her. But it was no use. The chains only got tighter and tighter, and if he had been mortal, his body would have been crushed by now. Persephone pulled back, taking a chunk of his forearm with her. His blood spilled down her mouth adding a fresh coat of red to her skin.

She licked her lips. "Mmm, if this marriage doesn't work out, I definitely wouldn't mind having you for a midnight snack."

Hades could only whimper, his mind going dizzy from the chains. How was she able to hurt him like this? Was he turning mortal, was it an affect from the chains, or was it her? All he knew was that this wasn't the real Persephone, and he had to figure out a way to escape.

Snapping her fingers again, Persephone made the chain around his mouth vanish. "Now how about a kiss for your new bride?"

Hades glared at her. "Forget it." He saw her scowl, her eyes glowing.

"Fine." Leaning down, she forced her lips against his.

He cringed. Her mouth tasted metallic from the blood, and her own flesh seemed completely rotten. _I'm not going to get out of this. Wait, what am I talking about? If she wants me so bad…._ He felt her pull back, and he grinned. "Well, babe, I guess I should take back that last part."

She raised an eyebrow. "Enjoyed it, did you?"

"Eh, you could work on your technique a little." Hades smirked. "Of course, I could help with that."

Persephone stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowed. "So you agree to be my king?"

"Yes, Angel-face." He met her gaze. "I'll be your king."

"And you'll be mine completely? You won't fight back or run away?"

He shook his head as best as he could. "Nope, I'm all yours. Do what you want with me."

Watching her, Persephone still looked a bit skeptical, but she finally nodded and smiled. "Wonderful." Snapping her fingers, the chains and table vanished, making them tumble onto the floor. She remained on top of him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders while pressing her forehead against his. "How about we take this further?"

Hades sat up. "Always in such a hurry, aren't you, babe?" He moved her arms from his shoulders and held her hands. "If we going to do this, we should do it the right way." He started kissing her neck.

She let out a moan and leaned her head back, giving him more access. He moved his hands from hers and slid them down her torso to her hips. Standing, he lifted her against him and slowly walked back toward the chairs.

Persephone moaned again, feeling him suck on her collarbone. "Hades…."

He brought his lips to her ear. "Yes, my Queen?"

She wrapped her arms back around his shoulders. "Let's finish this in my bedroom."

Hades chuckled. "Of course, my sweet, but there's one thing I need to tell you first." He lowered her down on the coffee table.

"What... aaah!" Persephone's eyes were wide, and she continued to cry aloud, her hands clawing at his chiton.

Hades' smirk widened. He had grabbed the syringe-gun from the table and stabbed it straight into the center of her spine. The full contents of the T and G virus emptied into her body. He yanked her hands off of him and stepped back. "I just beat you at your own game."

Persephone reached behind her and pulled the syringe-gun from her back. Staring at it briefly, her eyes snapped to Hades. "You." Her tone had change to a low growl; her eyes glowed brighter than he'd ever seen them.

She sprung into the air, her right arm raised. However, Hades, dissipated into a puff of smoke before she could swipe at him with her claws. He reappeared by the control desk. Persephone roared aloud, ready to chase after him, but her body started to violently shake. She collapsed onto the floor and screamed.

Her skin began to ripple and mutate; she glared at Hades, her fangs bared. "You won't get away with this, you bastard!" She tried to grab onto one of the chairs for support, but slipped off. "I'll destroy you!"

"I'm shaking." Hades looked down at the controls. There were various buttons, but he couldn't tell which was the one he needed. _That kid said there was a secret passageway out of this place. Now which is it?_ He felt a button underneath the desk and pressed it. The shelves of severed heads rose behind him, revealing a long tunnel.

Persephone snarled. "No!"

He entered the tunnel, and paused to glance back at her. "Well, it's been fun, _your Grace_. Ciao." Creating a fireball in his hand, he blasted the control panel, short-circuiting it.

….

The shelves crashed to the floor, barricading the tunnel. Persephone crawled over to the television screen. She pressed a button underneath it, sounding off an alarm. She turned on the intercom. "All soldiers surround the premise! Prisoner 201 has escaped into the sewers! Don't let him leave the city!"

"_Are you alright, your Grace?_" Nicholai's voice was on the other line.

"Don't worry about me!" She growled. "Just focus on bringing me the prisoner! And alert HUNK and the Delta team on the outside!"

"_Yes, your Grace. Are we permitted to annihilate the prisoner at any cost?_"

"No, I want to see his head roll from my own hands."

….

Hades stepped out into the sewer system. It was dark and flooded with foul, murky water. He could hear footsteps and moans echoing through the tunnels.

_Great. More undead. Still, it should be easier than dealing with that fake. Who was she anyway?_ He looked down at the bite mark on his arm. Using his powers, he self-healed the wound. Flexing his fingers, he sighed. "Now let's see. He said it should lead up to a police station above ground. I'm sure it'll be easy enough to find." He made his way down another tunnel.

….

Opening her eyes, Persephone stared up at the sky. It was dark blue and clear enough to see the stars; the wind blew over her bare skin, making her shiver. She cuddled closer to Hades' body.

_He's so warm, and he's really strong too. It's strange that he's not the fighting type._ She smiled. _But that's why I like him. He's not some over-bearing, macho meathead. _She looked at him; he was still sound asleep. She rested her head on his chest. "If I had a world of my own, I wish it'd be just like this." She traced small circles along his stomach with her fingers. "I'll never have to face my past, to think of all those horrible memories ever again. I'll have a real happy ending."

Lifting her head, her gaze drifted up to the stars. One caught her attention. It was larger and brighter than all the others. Placing a hand to her heart, she started to sing.

_Nightmare…_

Oh, how happy I'd be,

_...My never-ending nightmare..._

to live my life this free;

_...Stripping me apart..._

my distant dream is here;

_...Slowly dying, can't breathe..._

now I smile without a care.

_...But have I truly broken away?_

She looked at Hades.

My eyes see you;

_The vitality shining from your form..._

My hands feel you;

_...To rip the flesh from bone..._

My tongue tastes you;

_...Sinking into your soul, sealing your fate..._

My heart beats for you;

..._Breaking at your demise, never to be healed._

How can I feel this joy and sorrow all at once?

Plucking a flower from the ground, she started pulling off the petals.

Can I just stop time,

_It's too late..._

Freezing us together before the last chime;

_...No matter what, it's still a pumpkin..._

So I can drown in your love forever.

_...you're not a princess; don't say such things._

Smiling, she closed her eyes, the tone of her voice dropping lower.

A blissful death;

knowing you'll be there.

Rescued from this darkness,

with you, I have no fear.

She threw the barren stem to the ground.

_That's not your reality..._

But this is my dream;

_...Based on a fantasy..._

Sometimes that's all we have;

_...Hope achieves nothing..._

Most times that's all I can do;

_...You're not from his world, these rules don't apply._

Persephone sighed. "True." Glancing at Hades, she stoked her hand through his hair. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

Gathering her clothes, she got dressed before heading out of the mushroom patch and into the forest. She examined the grass; it was no longer towering over her. Instead, she was her normal size.

_Did everything change? How?_ Persephone rested her palm against the tree. She stared at her hand, before dropping her gaze down to her arm. "Is the virus really gone? Am I truly free? Maybe I'm not from Hades' world, but I want to be. I never want to deal with Umbrella or any of the horrors from my world ever again."

An image appeared in the tree beside her. It was a man in uniform; a bullet struck him through the chest. _"U… umbrella…."_

Gasping, Persephone turned away. Looking back, she saw that the man was no longer there. She sighed. "What's wrong with me?" A male voice echoed in her mind. _"The Ultimate Bio-Weapon."_

A second man appeared in the grass before her. He was lying on his back, and there was a large, snakebite in his abdomen. _"There are terrible demons, ouch…."_

"What?" She reached out toward the image, and it faded at her touch. "Okay, I'm going crazy." She retreated back until she was pressed up against a tree with vines surrounding it.

The tree changed into a tyrant with tentacles growing out of its body. _"S.T.A.R.S.!"_

Eyes widening, Persephone jumped. However, when she turned around, she only saw a tree. Biting her lip, she hugged her arms around herself.

Chris' illusion appeared among the trees. _"You can't kill me!"_

Persephone's eyes darted around. "Hello? Is someone there?"

Jill's face materialized on a bush. _"This will be my last escape."_

Trembling, Persephone ran deeper into the forest, ignoring the images that appeared around her.

She saw Leon in front of her and stopped. "Leon?" But he didn't respond to her. In fact, it was like he was looking straight passed her to someone else. He reached his hand out. _"Ada, wait…."__ His image vanished._

Frowning, Persephone shook her head again.

Ada was sitting on a rock, her body covered in blood. _"I'm just a woman, who fell in love with_ _you_."

Persephone ran out into an open field.

Claire stood before her. _"I have to find my brother."_

She struck at the image, making Claire vanish.

Steve pointed at her. _"You'll just end up disappointed if you rely on_ _others._"

Persephone groaned. "Stop it!"

A man, who looked like a police chief, walked towards her. _"Those monsters from Umbrella have destroyed my beautiful town!"_

Persephone ran away from him, and she came across a blond-haired man, wearing a red uniform. He was helplessly crawling in the grass, like he was dying. _"Alexia, you're finally awake."_

Tears spilled from Persephone's eyes. _What's going on? Why am I seeing all of these things?_

Stepping back, she bumped into another man. He was a scientist with dark hair. _"My precious G-virus, no one will ever take you from me."_

A final voice haunted her mind. _"The right to be a_ _god._"

Persephone quickly made her way to a large rock that was in the middle of the field. As she did, she saw mockingbirds fly by, but they changed into crows. The beautiful flowers that surrounded her transformed into ugly, tentacle plants; and she could see them, the shadows, the rotted, blood-stained arms that reached out for her life. The growls and moans of the undead filled the air.

"No, I'm free of this." Persephone jumped onto the rock. "Go away." Digging her hands into her hair, she shook her head. "Please go away." But the shadows only crept closer and closer, darkness filling the land. She looked up at the star, tears streaming down her face. "Leave me alone!"

A light shone down from the star, destroying the illusions that surrounded her. She looked around. The forest returned to its normal, mystical appearance. Putting a hand to her chest, she could feel her rapid heartbeat. She slowed her breathing with a sigh.

"So this is where you ran off to."

Her eyes widened. "No."

Wesker stepped out from the trees and looked at her. "You really are more trouble than you're worth."

….

Hades found himself in the outskirts of the city. He looked out at the Arklay Mountains. _I've had it with this place. I just want to return to the Underworld, take over Olympus, and once I rule the cosmos, I'll come back and deal with these bozos._ _But how do I get back?_ Putting a hand to his chin, he thought for a minute. _Where did I appear again? I remember there being a large, rocky wall._ _Guess, it'll be the best place to start._

….

A group of Umbrella soldiers gathered in front of the police station. A figure in a black cloak approached them; only its blue eyes were visible.

"Did you catch him?"

Nicholai stepped forward and bowed his head. "Your Grace, we're sorry. He got away."

Persephone narrowed her eyes. "You let him leave?"

Nicholai met her gaze. "It's not our fault, your Grace; he has powers we've never seen before. My men and I couldn't pin him down."

A clawed, deformed hand shot out from her cloak and gripped around Nicholai's neck. She squeezed until his had popped clean off his shoulders and rolled onto the ground. The other soldiers stepped back, their rifles pointed at her.

Persephone let out a hiss. "I have to do everything myself around here." She charged at the other soldiers.

….

_Come on, which way was it?_ Hades incinerated a horde of zombies that were approaching him. He examined the trees. _This looks like the same place where I ran into Little Red. I must be close._

A loud growl erupted through the air. Hades vanished from the spot he was in before Persephone's claws could slice off his head. Flipping over, she landed on the ground and came to a skidding stop, her feet leaving claw marks in the grass.

Hades reappeared and looked in her direction. Seeing her form shrouded in a cloak, he narrowed his eyes.

"Clever, dodging my attack like that." Persephone's eyes glowed red. She raised her right hand, her claws extending longer and sharper than before. "But you won't get a second chance."

His skin tinged orange. "Look, I don't care what you say, but you're not the real Persephone. And I won't be your king. Got the concept?"

She grinned. "Are you really this blind? I am her." She shrugged. "Well, in body."

He raised an eyebrow. "Body?"

She nodded. "I am Persephone T-Type 201. The T-virus allowed me to reanimate after my captor died, and after the experiments, I developed a will of my own. My captor is the one you consider the _real_ Persephone. However, I'm the one you've been pining over this whole time."

"You?" Hades frowned. "You actually think I've been interested in you?"

"I know so." She met his gaze. "And if I'm lying, then tell me, Hades, what do know about the real Persephone that I hadn't already blabbed to you? Her nightmares, her dreams, her true past perhaps...?"

Hades was about to retort but paused. The most Persephone ever told him was the conflict with Zeus and the other gods, and that was it. Every other time they spoke, it was just casual conversation. And she dodged any personal question he asked and had a tendency to avoid him most of the time. _I thought that was because of me, but maybe she was really just trying to hide this secret and who knows what else._

Tyrant Persephone smirked. "That's what I thought. All this time you've claimed to love her, make her your queen even, and yet she's been out of your reach this whole time. How pathetic. Of course, it doesn't truly matter. The spirit that is the Persephone you desire has been lost long ago. Even someone like you can't save her."

He narrowed his eyes. "Then I'll go back home, find her, and put an end to all of this."

Tyrant Persephone's slightly widened, and she laughed. "Oh, that's right. Silly me. How could I forget?" She gestured to his arm. "There is one other special property to the T-virus I didn't mention. Just one bite or scratch from someone infected with it sentences you to death and afterwards—" Her eyes glowed red. "Zombification."

Furrowing his brow, Hades glanced down at his arm. He gasped; the bite mark had reappeared. The wound was bleeding and looked just as fresh as before. _But I had healed it. How...?_ He heard her laugh.

"Now what were you saying before about beating me at my own game?"

Hades' skin turned red, and his flames flared across his shoulders. He held out his hands, two fireballs forming in them.

She chuckled, her voice becoming grainy and distorted. "What's this? Not running away? Strange, I never pegged you for the fighting type."

"You'd be correct, babe. But given the situation, I see no problem with changing things up. Besides, do you think it's wise to mess with a god?"

"And there's the irony. Becoming gods has been Umbrella's intention since its establishment. Only those of us who can properly bond with the viruses are worthy." Tyrant Persephone ripped her cloak off and tossed it to the ground.

Her skin had gone sickly pale and was ripped all over her body, revealing the red muscle underneath. Her right arm was larger than her left and had spikes sticking out along the back of her forearm up to her elbow.

Hades glanced her up and down. He smirked. "Well, it seems like you're more monstrous than god-like. You might want to go back to Umbrella for a refund."

She sneered at him. A slit opened in the palm of her left hand, and a large tentacle shot out toward Hades. It wrapped around his right arm, and she tried to pull him to her. He started to burn the tentacle off of himself. Electricity surged through her right claws, and she quickly leapt at Hades, pinning him to the ground by his throat. The electricity went through his body, and he let out a small scream.

Tyrant Persephone smirked. "Sorry, but I'm fine with trading aesthetics for power."

_How is this possible?_ Hades' gritted his teeth. _Her attack is almost as strong as Zeus' lightning._

Hades' head rolled back, his eyes following suit. Fire covered his whole body and ignited into a huge explosion. Shrieking, Tyrant Persephone was blasted into the air and slammed into a tree, the force causing it to snap in half. She rolled onto the ground, unconscious.

He caught his breath, his skin and fire returning to normal. He stood up and staggered slightly. He could still feel a few sparks of electricity in his system. Shrugging it off, he walked over to Tyrant Persephone.

Smoke rose from her corpse, and her skin was completely blackened from his flames. A few specks of fire continued to burn their way through her arms and legs. Her stomach was ripped open, her black intestines leaking out. Blood poured out of the wound and pooled around her form.

"Looks like a cheap imitation can't beat the real thing. You mortals should stick to what you know." Hades walked away. He looked down at his arm; the bite mark remained. _I'll find a way to heal this after I escape._

….

Persephone glared at Wesker. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He approached her. "I believe you already know the answer to that."

"Forget it." She stood up. "I don't see why you're so interested in me anyway. From the looks of it, you have enough power as it is."

"Yes. But you're living proof that there's more to be obtained." Wesker held out his hand. "Now this could go one of two ways. Either you cooperate, or I'll have to take you by force."

Persephone's aura surged around her. "Let's see you try."

Wesker sped towards her, and she vanished into a flurry of cherry blossoms. Pausing, he glanced around. "Now come on, little girl, I have no time to play hide and seek."

_"Who says I'm hiding?"_

The petals attacked Wesker. They sliced and cut at his skin and clothes. He swung his arms, trying to bat them away but to no avail. Scowling, he jumped away from the swarm. He glanced down at his clothes, noticing the tears; his gaze then drifted to his hands. They were bleeding, but he saw that the small wounds were quickly healing.

Frowning, he looked at the air. "I see your smart enough not to battle me in your infected form."

She materialized in front of him. "The joke's on you, Wesker. I've been freed from the virus."

"How?"

"Doesn't matter. The point is that I'm not your little experiment anymore."

Wesker ran for her again, however; she spread her powers into the plants, making vines sprout in all directions. He got tangled in the vines, and the more he struggled, the more wrapped around him.

Persephone laughed and stood on one of the vines. "Well, well, look at the puny fly I've caught in my web."

Snapping her fingers, the vines tightened around Wesker's body. He continued to struggle and jerk against the vines, but they only squeezed him harder. He gasped and choked out for air.

She smirked at him. _Once I kill Wesker, I'll truly be free._

Something pummeled through the vines at an intense force and speed. Persephone heard them snap and felt the vibration of heavy footsteps, but before she could move, a large, thick hand grabbed her around the neck from behind. She yelped, her fingers immediately trying to pry the foreign hand away from her.

Glancing back from the corner of her eye, Persephone saw that it was a tyrant. It was very plain looking with its bald head and blank expression. It didn't seem to possess any other deformities, but it was hard to tell since it was dressed in a large trench coat. The tyrant tightened its grip around Persephone's neck, making her cry out. She loss control of her powers, and the vines around Wesker loosened.

He tore himself free. Looking at her, he let out an empty chuckle. "So you think you've cured yourself? How foolish. I'll just re-infect you and continue my work."

She tried to pull herself free. "Please, don't do this!"

"Don't worry." Wesker brought his hand to her chin. "You'll have a place among the worthy, as long as you don't get in my way." He turned his back to him. "And this is a fortunate opportunity. It seems there's a real god lurking around here somewhere. I believe you're familiar with him."

Persephone's eyes widened. "Hades?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'd like sample of his blood as well." He glanced at her. "And you're going to retrieve it for me."

"Never!"

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Wesker pulled out a small device from the inside of his coat. It looked a red jewel with mechanical legs sprouting out of its sides. "This should make you more compliant."

She tried to pull away, but the tyrant kept her in place. "No."

A gunshot rang through the air, and a bullet pierced through the tyrant's head. It let go of Persephone, making her fall on the ground. She put a hand to her neck. It was sore, and she was starting to feel a little light-headed. More bullets flew toward the tyrant, knocking it back.

"Leave her alone!" Leon ran over to the group.

The tyrant marched toward Leon and tried to smash him with its fists. He continued to shoot at it, but it wouldn't die. The tyrant chased Leon into another part of the forest.

Wesker raised an eyebrow. "Well, isn't this bothersome?" He ran for Persephone.

She summoned two vines from the ground and swiped at him. Wesker dodged the attack and managed to grab her neck. He held out the device.

She groaned. "Have you forgotten, Wesker? You can't hurt me."

"Maybe not." He tossed her into the air and side-kicked her in her ribs.

Persephone fell on the ground. She coughed and held her side.

Wesker slowly approached her. "It was rather intriguing when I mentioned that god. By the look in your eyes, I'd say you were in love with him."

She scowled at him. "Stay away from Hades!"

He chuckled. "Yes, there it is again. You know, it's giving me a change of heart. Such a discovery would be wasted if I only took some of his blood. Instead, I think he would make a perfect, new test subject. Probably even stronger than you given his lineage."

"No!" Her eyes glowed red. "I won't let you turn him into another one of your experiments!"

"Do you really think you can stop me?"

"You and Umbrella have taken everything from me!" Persephone stood up. "You're not taking Hades too!" Her right arm started to mutate and swell into a larger size, and her nails grew into long, sharp claws. She was so filled with rage that she didn't notice the changes. "I'd rather die again than let that happen!"

A small, smirk formed on Wesker's face. "Then come at me, Persephone."

Persephone charged at Wesker, her right claw extended at him. He swiftly grabbed her arm and forced it up. He maneuvered himself behind her and pulled her left arm behind her back. Still holding her right arm, he impaled her chest with her claws. She screamed aloud, her whole torso stinging in pain.

He laughed. "You know, this was your biggest error when we tested you. Despite bonding so well with the viruses, you still managed to hold on to your weak, human emotions." He yanked Persephone's arm from her chest, making her gasp.

Blood spurted from the wound, and she dropped to the ground. He pinned her down with his foot. He pulled out the device and pushed it into her chest. The metal legs buried themselves deep within her flesh. Feeling a strange liquid enter her veins, Persephone tried to pull the device out. However, her arms wouldn't respond.

_What's going on? Why can't I control my body?_ Her eyes grew heavy, and she could barely see Wesker's face in front of her. _No, I can't lose. I can't let Wesker get to Hades. Even if he is a god, I still have to protect him. I love him._

"Emotions will be your undoing." Wesker smirked. "I'm sure Hades won't be as weak as you."


	7. It's A Wonderland After All

Chapter Six:

-It's A Wonderland After All-

Hades continued his way through the barren field. _Honestly, this place is bigger than I thought._

He looked around. The sound of moaning filled his ears. Dark silhouettes crept out from the shadows and slowly closed in on him.

He rolled his eyes. "Oy, come on. How many of you do I have to kill?"

The corpses staggered toward him. Raising his arms in the air, Hades shot pillars of fire from his hands that incinerated the zombies on impact. Ash fell all around him, and he stared ahead. There was a large, rock wall that stretched on for miles on either side. In front of the wall was a river that flowed parallel to it.

_Finally, now I can get out of this place._ He made his way over to the wall.

"Hades!"

Turning around, he saw Claire running toward him. Her clothes had changed. She was still wearing a red vest, but it was shorter, showing off part of her stomach, and she had on a long pair of blue jeans instead of her shorts.

Claire stopped in front of Hades and caught her breath. "I saw you fighting that monster back there. Are you alright?"

Hades shrugged. "Of course." He folded his arms. "And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your brother?"

"He left to find his partner, Jill. Apparently, Umbrella sent some monster after her, and now she's trapped in another part of the city." She smiled. "So I figured I'd come and help you."

"That's sweet, Little Red, really…." He stepped away, waving her off. "But I've got things taken care of."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes. Now, go on. I'm sure there's some helpless, little mortal in dire need of you in that city."

Claire looked back at the city. "Heh, Raccoon City. I never thought I'd see this place again. It's like I'm reliving my darkest nightmares. Everything almost seems unreal." She glanced at him. "Have you gotten the same feeling?"

Hades raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because…." She bit her lip. "You're the only one who seems real to me, as strange as that sounds. When I was with my brother, I don't know how to explain it. It was him, but at the same time, it wasn't. He acted completely different from what I remember. We didn't even meet each other in Raccoon City before. And the city itself. It was destroyed years ago, and yet here it is. Is it just me? Do you sense it too, Hades?"

Hades paused. _Persephone…. _He met her gaze. "Yeah, Little Red, it does." He snapped his fingers. "That reminds me, I ran into a friend of yours earlier. Think the kid's name was Steve."

"Steve? Steve Burnside, you mean?" Receiving a nod, she furrowed her brow. "But that's impossible, you couldn't have met him. He was killed back when we were dealing with Umbrella in the Antarctic."

_'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves_

_Did gyre and gimble in the wabe!_

Claire quickly turned around. "What was that?"

_And the mome raths outgrabe!_

_That voice._ Hades' eyes widened. "Persephone?"

Claire pulled out two, golden lugers. "Wait, you mean the girl you were searching for?"

The haunting song ceased, leaving the two of them in a deadly silence. Claire aimed her guns ahead of her and began sweeping the area. Hades scanned the barren field, but he didn't spot the threat in question.

Hades stepped back. _That couldn't have been her. I roasted her to crisp. _

A huge hand snatched Hades by the neck from behind and lifted him off the ground. He struggled against the foreign hand's grip, his skin turning red and his flames flaring. However, the hand only tightened its hold around him.

"Thought you could escape me, did you?"

Claire spun around, her eyes widening. "Hades!"

Tyrant Persephone stood taller than Hades with large, elongated feet. Her skin was a yellowish hue and in some spots was translucent enough to show the pulsating muscle underneath. In the middle of her forehead was a third, pupil-slit eye that rapidly moved in all directions while her regular eyes glowed bright red. The bone of her skull had mutated and shot out of her skin forming a three-pronged crowned shape. The rest of her spinal column stuck out of her body all the way down to her tailbone. A nest of tentacles rested in her head; they wrapped around Hades' arms, keeping him still.

"How are you still alive?" Hades tried to teleport out of her grip, but found himself unable to. _What's going on? I've been able to vanish without even having to think about it._

Tyrant Persephone cackled, her voice heavy and distorted. "Have you forgotten already? I'm the _Queen_. No matter what you do, you can't beat me."

"We'll see about that!" Claire shot a round of bullets at her.

Tyrant Persephone didn't even flinch, the bullets merely sinking into her flesh like a sponge. She focused her gaze on Claire, and her third eye widened. "If it isn't Claire Redfield." She dropped Hades to the ground, and with lightning quick speed, pinned Claire into a nearby tree.

Claire let out a gasp from the impact, the air forcing its way out of her lungs. Her lugers fell from her hands onto the ground. Tyrant Persephone tightened her grip on Claire's torso and slid her up to her eye level.

"I've been searching for you. How convenient that I find you with Hades." Tyrant Persephone raised her left hand. A small slit in her palm opened, and a long, slimy tentacle slithered its way out. "You'll serve as the perfect bait for your brother."

"Let go of me!" Claire turned her head away from the tentacle before Tyrant Persephone could shove it into her mouth.

Claire reached into her right pocket and pulled out her combat knife. She stabbed it into Tyrant Persephone's third eye. It popped and oozed out blood, making her roar aloud and pull away from Claire. Dropping to the ground, Claire picked up her lugers. She reloaded them with the spare clips she had, and quickly shot Tyrant Persephone repeatedly in the heart.

Blood and slime spurted from the wound, and Tyrant Persephone let out another agonizing roar. A large fireball hit her from behind, knocking her flat on the ground. Hades stood over her, his body heaving as his flames cooled down. Claire stood up, using the tree for support. She met Hades' gaze, but before they could say anything, two tentacles from Tyrant Persephone's head shot out and wrapped around both of their necks. Tyrant Persephone slowly rose from the ground.

Hades pulled at the tentacle and burned it with his hands. "You're fight's with me!"

She glared at him. "Who are you to order me around!" A bullet blasted through her shoulder. Growling, she swatted her large claw back, striking Claire.

Screaming, Claire flipped into the air and roughly landed on the ground, her body still.

Hades glanced at Claire; she wasn't severely bleeding. _She's just unconscious._ He returned his attention to Tyrant Persephone. "Look, babe, I'm not playing this game anymore."

Tyrant Persephone chuckled. "And that's what you don't get. You've been playing the second you stepped into my world. And now you have a choice to make." She slowly approached Hades.

He backed away, wanting to keep his distance. He paused, feeling the edge of the river underneath his foot.

"I'm giving you once last chance, Hades." Tyrant Persephone's voice darkened. "Either be my king or be my pawn."

Hades brought his right hand to his chin before meeting her gaze. "No deal."

Tyrant Persephone let out a low growl, her fangs gritted. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

A hand shot out from the river and grabbed Hades' left ankle. He turned his head, feeling the hand pull at him. A horde of zombies sprung from the water, gripping their hands onto his clothes. On sight, he froze, his mind suddenly filling with memories of the souls that had dragged him into the whirlpool. The water had extinguished his powers, and the souls, despite his efforts, were able to overpower him. And now it was happening again. Tyrant Persephone lunged forward, her large claw pushing into Hades' chest, and slammed him into the river.

As a god, Hades couldn't drown, but he was still rendered motionless, his fire going out completely. The zombies dragged him down further, their mouths wide open ready to bite him. But their teeth shattered the second they tried to pierce his skin.

"You may be immune to them, but not to me." Tyrant Persephone pushed him into the dirt wall of the river.

_And as in uffish thought he stood,_

_The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,_

Her red eyes glowed brighter than before.

_Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,_

_And burbled as it came!_

Hades closed his eyes and groaned. _Come on, you have to get out of this. There has to be a way._

_One, two! One, two! And through and through_

_The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!_

Tyrant Persephone brought her face closer to Hades', a smirk gracing her deformed lips.

_Leaving the boy dead, and off went his head,_

_His loving home: never to go back._

Electricity surged from Tyrant Persephone's claws into Hades' torso and coursed through the water.

….

Claire slowly opened her eyes and groaned. The sound of Hades' screams filled her ears, and she turned around. She could see sparks of electricity surging through the river.

"Hades!" Claire brought herself to her feet. _Damn, that thing's a tyrant. I can't defeat it with just a regular gun. _She reached into the left pocket of her vest and pulled out a walkie-talkie. Pressing the _on_ button with her thumb, she brought it closer to her mouth. "Chris! Chris, can you hear me!"

_"Claire, I'm here. What's going on?"_

"There's a tyrant after me! Please help!"

_"What? I'm on my way. Jill and I managed to escape. We're on a helicopter with Barry. Where are you?"_

"On the outskirts of the northeast side of the city near the Arklay Mountains. I'm in a field next to a large river. Look for a flare!" Claire quickly shoved the walkie-talkie back into her pocket. _You may not be my real brother, but I still need you._

Claire pulled a flare out from her pocket and quickly lit it. It shot out into the sky and exploded into red sparkles and smoke. She took out her lugers and rushed over to the river. She could see Tyrant Persephone just below the surface. Aiming at her head, she shot the remaining bullets she had. Traces of blood seeped into the water, a load roar gurgled out into the air. Claire threw her lugers to the ground and pulled out a handgun from the left pocket of her jeans. Tyrant Persephone jumped out of the river and landed right in front of Claire.

"I almost forgot about you, Redfield." She smirked. "And I wouldn't worry about Hades. You're too late."

_What? No._ Claire narrowed her eyes. "Well, you still have me to deal with."

Tyrant Persephone flexed her claws. "Then this shouldn't take long."

Claire shot a bullet at her head, but bounced off of thick bone of her skull. Tyrant Persephone rushed at her, but Claire dodged rolled out of the way. She quickly stood up and fired two more shots at Tyrant Persephone's back.

_Come on, Chris, where are you?_ Hearing a helicopter overhead, she looked up.

"Claire!" Chris looked down at her from the helicopter.

Tyrant Persephone saw him as well and smirked. "Chris Redfield. This truly is my lucky day."

Claire shot more bullets at Persephone's face, managing to blow off parts of her jaw. It was then she heard the fatal click in her handgun. _Oh no, I'm out._

"Claire, catch this!" Chris threw down a rocket launcher.

Tyrant Persephone snarled at Claire "Once I get rid of you, girl, your brother is next!" Leaping into the air, claws bared, she lurched forward at her.

Claire shifted her gaze between the rocket launcher and Tyrant Persephone before rolling out of the way. Tyrant Persephone claws got stuck in the ground, and she roared while she tried to pull them out. Claire quickly grabbed the rocket launcher and aimed it Tyrant Persephone.

"Checkmate." She pulled the trigger, and a rocket shot out, hitting Tyrant Persephone dead on.

With one final screech, her body exploded, leaving nothing but a few bones left. Claire stood up and caught her bed. Hearing a splash, she looked toward the river and saw Hades climbing out.

_Is he still alive?_ Claire made a step toward him, but stopped, seeing a rope ladder drop in front of her. She looked up.

Chris gestured to the ladder. "Claire, get on."

She held up her hand. "Wait, I have to check something."

Claire rushed over to Hades. He coughed out a bunch of water before collapsing in the grass. She knelt beside him.

"Hades?" Claire glanced him over; she noticed the bite mark on his arm. _He's infected, but he's still breathing. Maybe there's a chance to save him._ She gently shook him. "Hades, wake up."

….

_No!_

Persephone plunged her claws into Hades' chest, piercing his flesh.

_Stop!_

Gurgled screams followed, and then the lights left his eyes. She pulled her claws out, letting him fall.

Blood sprayed through the air, and the world seemed to go in slow motion. There Persephone stood… well _stood_ was an overstatement. No, she merely watched, her body performing to Wesker's will. Meanwhile the love of her life lay before her, soaking in a pool of his blood. She wished she could have screamed, shouted, done anything to have woken Hades up before she attacked him. But now… now it was too late.

Hearing Wesker snap his fingers, her body went still. And there she watched as Umbrella soldiers swooped in and took Hades' corpse away, and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

Wesker came into her view. "Well done, Persephone." He walked over to her and pulled the red jewel from her chest.

Persephone let out a loud gasp and fell to her knees. The mutations in her right arm started to fade, and slowly, her body felt like hers again and not a numb, outer shell.

He looked down at her. "And don't worry about the god. I'm going to take good care of him."

She lifted her head, but all she could muster was a glare. Both her physical and mental strength had drained from her.

"Now, don't give me that look. It will all make sense when the time comes, and you will be glad you were one of the chosen." He turned around. "For now, this is goodbye, Persephone. We will meet again soon."

She watched Wesker's form retreat into the distance, and finally she could move her mouth. "Wesker!" Tears spilled from her eyes. _No, I failed. I couldn't save him. No. Hades…. He was the only person I had left. The only happiness I had… no… no…. _She sobbed. "No!"

"Persephone?"

She didn't bother to turn around. Instead, she kept her eyes glue to grass. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Persephone, it's me, Leon." He noticed the bloodstains on her body. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she choked out.

"But your wounds…."

"This blood isn't mine." Persephone lowered her head. "Please, Leon, just go. I want to be alone."

"What? I'm not leaving you here by yourself." He looked around. "Where's Wesker?"

"He's gone." She gripped hands into the grass, her nails digging into the dirt. "Everything is gone. Everything…." She jerked her head up. "They took everything from me!" She sobbed.

Leon knelt in front of her. "Persephone?"

She couldn't hold back anymore and buried her face in Leon's chest, letting every tear she had run from her eyes. "He's gone. Hades is gone. It's all my fault."

He wrapped his arms around her. "It'll be okay. Everything will be just fine, Persephone. Come on, we'll find a way out of this place. Perse_one, tr_st m_."

_What?_ She pulled away and looked up at Leon. "What did you say?"

Leon met her gaze. "I s_ let's f_ a w_ of h_."

Persephone furrowed her brow. Leon faded from her vision; she couldn't even feel his arms around her anymore. Soon everything went dark.

….

_Wha… what happened?_ Persephone opened her eyes. She saw various flowers sprouting from the grass away from her. Shifting her body, she realized she was lying on the ground. She slowly stood up and looked around. "Wait. This is my garden. I'm back in the Underworld?" A wave of relief washed over her. _Then it was all a dream? That means… Hades is…._

Smacking her lips, a metallic taste saturated her tongue. Frowning, Persephone raised a hand to her mouth. She paused. Her hand was covered in blood. She felt her heart skip a beat. Looking down at herself, the entire front of her body was covered in the red, sticky liquid. Her stomach churning, she coughed and more blood spurted from her mouth.

Persephone's lungs froze, and the pounding of her heart began to ring in her ears. _No… it couldn't be. It was just a dream._ She scrambled to her feet. "Hades!" She received no answer.

Persephone spotted a trail of blood. Most of it looked like it was smeared across the ground. She followed the trail, her heart beating louder and louder with each step. Pushing her way through a bush, she looked down and gasped.

Laying in a bed of roses was Minthe's mangled body. Her left arm was missing, and large bite marks covered her legs. In her chest was a huge gaping hole that was still leaking blood. Her neck had been completely chewed out, disconnecting her head from the rest of her body. And half of the skin on her face was gone, revealing her skull.

Persephone put a hand to her mouth and shook her head. _What? When did this happen?_ She remembered arguing with Minthe, and then recalled when her head hit the rock. _No._

She spotted a torch on a nearby pillar. Picking it up, she threw it on Minthe's corpse. The flames started to devour what was left of the nymph. Persephone threw sticks and other plants on top. The fire grew massive, and she put a barrier up that blocked off that section of the garden. Persephone stood still, letting the flames reach her. They engulfed her body, and ate away at her sullied clothes.

Where any mortal would have been screaming in agony by now, Persephone instead felt rejuvenated. The flames caressed her skin, purifying it of the nymph's blood. The heat was not searing, but warm and soothing. Smoke filled the air and rose to the ceiling. Persephone inhaled it, a smile crossing her face. The scent was comforting to her in a way she couldn't explain. It almost made her forget everything that just happened.

She scoffed to herself. _If only…._

Soon the fire was the only thing Persephone could see in the area. She walked beyond Minthe's corpse, which now was nothing but a pile of ashes. She stopped at the edge of the grass. Just beyond was a large wall of the cavern, and right below was a huge pit full of skeletons. Raising her hands, she grew a bunch of vines and scattered them down into the pit. They led the flames to rotted bodies within it. She stood still watching the fire, making sure it wiped away everything.

Persephone then turned around and headed through the barrier. _I'll let the fire burn until it suffocates from the lack of air. That way, the virus won't have chance to spread._ Snapping her fingers, a long black dress appeared on her body, and a blue fire lily bloomed out of the side of her bangs. She headed toward the exit of her garden. _I have to see Hades. To make sure he's still…. _Memories of the dream flashed in her mind, and she shook them away.

Reaching the edge of the garden, Persephone noticed that her barrier was still in place. She snapped her fingers again, making it dissipate. Hearing a groan, she looked down and saw Hades' body lying on the shore.

She gasped. _No… but I thought…._ She rushed to Hades' side.

….

_Ugh, I feel like I was hit by ten of Zeus' stupid bolts. That's gonna leave a bruise._ Hades opened his eyes and saw Claire kneeling over him.

She furrowed her brow. "Hades? Can you hear me?"

Blinking, he groaned. _Little Red's still here? Wonder what happened to…?_

"Hades?" Claire started to fade from his vision.

_What?_ Hades narrowed his eyes.

"Hades?"

The image in front of him continued to flicker in and out until Claire's face was replaced by Persephone's. Hades stared at her. It wasn't the monster he had just fought with. No, instead he was looking into the same beautiful eyes that he'd come to know and love. Persephone's brow was furrowed, and he could see the worry etched across her face. He glanced down. And her clothes… she was wearing her usual black dress, and the flower in her hair was blue. It wasn't the completely white outfit the monster had worn.

"Hades?" Persephone's eyes scanned over him. "Please say something."

"Persephone?"

She smiled. "Yes. Are you alright?"

Hades slowly sat up. He glanced around. Everything was as he remembered. The river Styx was still full of souls and flowed silently through the Underworld. The palace was in the same spot. Persephone's garden had returned, and there was no sign of Claire, the City, or any of the strange creatures he had seen.

_Same old Underworld._ He shook his head. "No, no, I'm just fine."

Persephone bit her lip. "Are you sure? I found you lying here outside of the garden. You were unconscious… well, I thought…."

_Yes, she is definitely not that virus-infected freak._ Hades nodded before standing up. "Really, Angel-face, I'm okay."

"If you're sure… I just…." She raised an eyebrow. "Wait? What did you call me?"

Hades shrugged. "Angel-face." He grinned at her. "Cause you're definitely a sight for sore eyes right now."

"Oh." Persephone turned away, hiding her blush. "In that case, I'll just return to my work then."

Hades saw turn to leave. "Hold on."

She faced him. "Yes?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. He mentally laughed at himself. _Figures she's the one person who can render me speechless. _He cleared his throat. "I just wanted to remind you of our meeting tomorrow. I've come up with new ideas to take down Olympus once and for all."

"Right, of course." Persephone nodded and smiled. "I'll see you there, Hotshot." She headed into her garden.

Hades made his way back to the throne room. _So it was all a dream?_ He shrugged to himself. _I've had stranger ones. Just glad to be out of that place, so I can focus on the more important task at hand._

Reaching the throne room, he stood in front of the large, map table in the center. Hades put a hand to his chin. He sighed. _I can't deny that releasing the Titans was the best idea I had. If it hadn't been for Meg…. _The flames on his body flared, and he quickly calmed himself down. _Focus, Hades. This next scheme has to be something big. Foolproof. Something not even Jerkules could defeat._ He rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Pain! Panic!"

The two imps appeared before Hades and bowed.

Pain stepped forward. "Yes, your Inflammability?"

"Boys, I have an important date with Persephone tomorrow, and I need you two to behave yourselves."

"Date?" Panic's eyes widened.

Hades smirked. "Yes. And if everything goes as planned, the Underworld…." He scoffed. "Or better yet, Olympus is going to have a new queen as well as a king." Swishing his hand in the air, he created a small figurine of Persephone and placed it on the chessboard next to his piece.

Pain and Panic shared a glance.

Panic shook his head. "Boss, you can't marry Persephone. We…."

"Ah, ah…." He shook his finger at him. "I don't want to hear whatever excuse you two have thought of."

Pain flew up in front of him. "But this is different. There's really something wrong with her. If you just…."

Hades snatched Pain by the neck. Turning his free arm into a smoky tendril, he grabbed Panic as well. His skin turned red, and his flames flaring across his shoulders, making the imps tremble in his grip.

"You two have spent the past two months going on and on about why I should stay away from Persephone, and as of right now, I have lost my patience! She's the one I want as my queen, and if either one of do anything mess it up...!" Hades' hands engulfed with flames, burning Pain and Panic until they fell to floor as two piles of ash.

The imps quickly reformed to their original state, but their bodies were still scorched. Pain raised his hand to speak, but Panic clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him out of the throne room.

Hades rolled his eyes. _Minions._

Placing a hand to his chin, Hades eyed the chessboard. Most of the monsters he had as pawns were gone thanks to Hercules. Sure there was Cerberus, but he was meant to guard the Underworld. Even his most capable minion, Meg, a rook at best, had betrayed him for the love of her white knight Wonder-boy. And of course, the imps, he'd consider them bishops if he could keep a straight face while doing so. They were so useless sometimes; he wondered why he kept them around. After all, if they had actually killed Hercules as a baby like he ordered….

Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. _And if they were still in the room, I'd roast them right now._ _I guess being stress relievers is their only redeeming feature. _

Drawing his attention back to the chessboard, he realized just how small his army had become now, save for one small or possibly major change. _Persephone…. Just what do the Fates have up their sleeves? I mean, several millennia of being alone in this death pit, and they wait until now to throw a beautiful goddess at me? Not that I'm complaining. Maybe I should schedule another meeting with them. Hopefully, they'll slip some information to me like they did last time._

A flash of the dream came to his mind again. An image of the syringe-gun the fake Persephone was holding appeared, and it closed in on the green and purple liquid of the viruses.

Hades shook his head. He paused, his brow furrowed. "You know that dream was a little too eerie to just file it away into the forgotten pile. What if…?" He walked over to one of the windows. "Maybe I should ask Persephone about it tomorrow just to be sure. Still, I have a hard time believing she could have anything to do with that place." He yawned. "Oh well, I'll sleep on it." He retired to his bedchambers.

….

Persephone was sitting on a large rock that rested over a small pond within her garden. She created a flower in her head and started to pick the petals off, letting them fall onto the water's surface one by one.

She smiled to herself. "He's still alive."

"Always one to state the obvious, aren't you?"

Eyes widening, she looked down at her reflection and saw Zeke sitting on top of her head. She rolled her eyes. "Go away, Zeke."

Frowning, he jumped down onto the rock. He folded his arms. "Now, is that any way to speak to me?"

Persephone closed her eyes and sighed. "I just don't know what to feel. I'm happy that my dream was just a dream, but that's the problem. I can only say that about one part of it. The rest is a continuation of the nightmare I can't wake up from."

Zeke pulled out a pair of spectacles and put them on his face. He then created a pencil and pad in his hands. "Go on."

She looked at her hands, her eyes staring past the flesh into her veins. "The virus is real. Umbrella is real. What Wesker did to me is real. And I'm losing control. I don't know why. When Demeter first turned me into a goddess, everything seemed fine, but as time passed, the mutations have just gotten worst. I've been doing my best to suppress it with my powers until I can find a cure, but I'm not strong enough."

"Now hold on." Zeke dropped his pencil and pad. "You can beat this. I mean; you managed to create those herbs."

Twirling her hand, two herbs appeared in her hand. One had a green stem with green leaves; the second had a red stem with red leaves. "These only suppress the urges temporarily. But I can't hold on much longer, Zeke. You saw what I did to Minthe. And it could have been worse. What if I had gotten outside of the garden, or Hades found me?" She started to cry.

He pulled out a tissue and wiped the tears from cheeks. "Don't cry. You'll figure this out."

"Face it. I've been fooling myself all this time. Thinking there was possibility I could have a normal life. That I could be normal." Persephone sobbed. "There's only one thing left to do. I have to destroy myself."

Zeke gasped. "What?"

"You heard me. I can't have a life, and I'm a hazard to anyone I come in contact with. It's the only way." She stood up. "Zeus said that if he found out that I broke my 'house arrest' on Demeter's island, he'd kill me. I think I'll take him up on that offer."

"Um, hello?" Zeke flew up to her and knocked on her head. "Have you forgotten the reason why you got banished from Mt. Olympus in the first place?"

"I know Zeus is a pig, but he has the power to denounce my godhood and kill me." She turned to walk away.

He zipped in front of her. "And what about Hades?"

More tears spilled from her eyes. "He'll just have to go on without me."

He dropped his hands to his sides and watched her walk past him. "But I thought you had feelings for him?"

"I do; however, I need to focus on the bigger picture here." She frowned.

"But, Persephone…." He lay on top of her head and leaned over upside-down in front of her face. "He could help you with this."

"I'm so not sure about that. Even though I have feelings for him and we get along, it doesn't mean I'm ignorant to what kind of person he is. We are plotting to take over Mt. Olympus, don't forget. Hades might not have the same attitude towards the virus and my mutations as I do. He might…." She bit her lip. "He might try to use it as a weapon. I can't let that happen."

"But he also might not do any of those things, especially if it's for your sake."

Persephone narrowed her eyes. "You say it like Hades is in love with me or something."

Zeke shrugged. "He could be."

"Yes, well that _could_ isn't a chance I'm willing to take." Persephone sighed. "Maybe if I still have a soul after this, I'll see Hades again. If not…." She held her hands to her heart. "At least I'll be able to finally rest in peace."

Persephone headed out of her garden and made her way to the throne room. Looking around, she realized it was vacant. Materializing a scroll and a quill into her hands, she wrote a short letter. Once she was done, she rolled the scroll up and sat it on the chessboard. She paused, feeling her heart skip a beat, and tears started to swell in her eyes. Blinking them away, she picked the fire lily from her hair and placed it on top of the scroll.

Snapping her fingers, Persephone summoned a black cloak. She quickly slipped it on. "You'll stay with me through this, won't you, Zeke?"

He nodded. "Hey, I've been with you since you died. You can't get rid of me that easily."

A small smile graced her lips. "Thank you."

"Of course."

Persephone vanished into a flurry of flower petals and left the Underworld. She reformed outside of the main entrance. Glancing back, she held her tears in.

"Goodbye, Hades."

She paused, a voice echoing in her head.

_"Choose."_

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

_"Choose and remember what has been said."_

She put a hand to her forehead and frowned. The voice vanished, leaving her in silence. She stared ahead toward Mt. Olympus. It was miles away, but still looked mighty and intimidating from that distance. Securing her cloak, she headed through the forest toward her demise.

**-To Be Continued-**

* * *

QueenofNobodies: "Well, that's the end of Part 1 Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading and reviewing. Stay tuned for Part 2."

Soundtrack:

White Rabbit- by Jefferson Airplane (Main Theme)  
Haunted- by Disturbed  
Sweet Dreams- Marilyn Manson cover  
Tears From The Moon- by Conjure One feat. Sinead O'Connor  
Weak and Powerless- by A Perfect Circle

**Disclaimer:** Hades, Pain, Panic, Charon, Demeter, minor character references and themes from the Hercules' movie/t.v. show belongs to Disney. Resident Evil Characters and themes owned by creators within Capcom and Resident Evil movie references owned by P. W.S. Anderson. _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through The Looking Glass and What Alice Found There _references, themes, and Jabberwocky poem owned by Lewis Carroll. My version of Persephone and Minthe, Zeke, and idea for the plot owned by me.


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